DNC Announces New Investment in Ohio For Early Organizing Ahead of 2026 Midterms Arrow

Today, a day after Trump's allies in Columbus failed to release new congressional maps, the DNC announced a new investment to turbocharge the Ohio Democratic Party's organizing efforts to fight for fair maps and gear up for the crucial 2026 midterms.

Ohio's congressional map is already gerrymandered. In 2024, 55% of Ohioans voted for the Republican candidate, but 66% of Ohio's congressional districts lean heavily Republican. Under a fair map, Ohio's 15 congressional districts would consist of eight Republican and seven Democratic seats, not the current 10 and 5, respectively.

Ohio Republicans plan to further rig the map because they are concerned about losing their House majority in the 2026 midterms after passing Trump's Big Ugly Bill that kicks 460,000 Ohioans off their health insurance and puts 11 rural hospitals at risk of closing. By failing to pass a map yesterday, the process now moves to the Republican-controlled Ohio Redistricting Commission, which has until the end of October to pass a map with bipartisan support.

Today's six-figure investment comes on top of the historic $1 million a month DNC Chair Ken Martin is sending to state parties across the country to build campaign and on-the-ground organizing infrastructure. Every fight matters, and the DNC is working tirelessly to win across the map.

The DNC's investment will support the Ohio Democratic Party, including by:

• Freeing up funds for paid programming, like direct mail, and digital and TV ads.
  
• Hiring organizing staff to support on-the-ground early organizing efforts.
  
• Deploying our volunteer organizing team of 41,000 volunteers across the country to send texts to Ohioans.

DNC Chair Ken Martin issued the following statement:

"After passing Trump's Big Ugly Bill that kicks 460,000 Ohioans off their health care and puts 11 rural hospitals at risk of closing, Ohio Republicans know that voters will hold them responsible. That's why they are trying to cheat by further rigging Ohio's congressional map, all at the behest of Donald Trump. The DNC won't stand idly by and watch it happen - we are all hands on deck to make sure Ohio Democrats have the resources they need to go on offense, fight these rigged maps, and build the infrastructure we need to win big in 2026 and beyond."