Shaking Up Columbus!

The Challenge

Ohio’s system of elections is broken.  As opposed to creating competitive districts that promote choice and accountability, the Apportionment Board, which draws the district lines every 10 years, has been used to gerrymander election districts to create safe legislative majorities, immune to the voter's will. In the end, it’s the voters who lose from the approach in place today.

Take the State Senate.  In the past two cycles—2006 and 2008—only 1 of 33 races fell within five points.  One additional race fell within 10 points.  Two-thirds were determined by more than 20 points!

 The result of such “easy-win” districts?

1.  Lack of accountability.  Politicians who don’t face real elections don’t feel accountable to the voters.   And voters have no recourse when they want change in leadership and direction.  They have no real choice.  So even if the voters want change, the districts are drawn in ways that guarantee it can’t happen.

2.  Partisan paralysis and government gridlock.  With such one-sided districts, politicians’ only fear is being outflanked by challengers in their own party’s primary.  The greatest risk to losing their seats is actually working across party lines to get things done. The recent budget gridlock is the inevitable result of a system structured for partisan paralysis only structured to punish bipartisanship.

Now, more than ever, Ohio voters deserve elections where their vote can make a difference. Ohio needs legislators who feel accountable to their constituents.  And Ohio needs leaders that will work together to solve problems, as opposed to splinter into partisan bickering every time a tough issue emerges.

The Auditor’s Role

David Pepper has been an independent-minded reformer in his decade in government—with a history of working across partisan lines and pushing for accountability.  And he has had to fight hard to win every elective office he has held or sought.  He believes this approach is badly needed in Columbus. 

David views the Auditor’s seat on the Apportionment Board as a responsibility to create competitive districts that give real choice in elections, that allow the results in Columbus to reflect the will of the voters across the State, and that help put an end to endless partisan bickering.  And he believes that elected officials perform best when they know they are accountable to voters in the next election, and are most in touch with citizens when they have to fight for every vote.

David Pepper will do this by returning power to the voters.  As a member of Ohio’s five-member apportionment board, he will fight for competitive districts across Ohio, end partisan gerrymandering that has plagued the state for too long, and give Ohioans the chance to hold their elected officials accountable.