Kasich, Schwarzenegger join map-making fight

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. John Kasich on Tuesday joined friend and ex-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s effort to overhaul partisan political map-making that’s helped fuel their own Republican party’s rise to power.

Kasich signed onto a legal brief that opposes the GOP in the momentous redistricting case being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court this fall. He said other signers include Republicans John McCain, Richard Lugar and Bob Dole. At issue is whether Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin drew legislative districts that favored their party and were so out of whack with the state’s political breakdown they violated Democratic voters’ constitutional rights.

Kasich, a 2016 presidential contender, is a frequent critic of President Donald Trump and has parted with fellow Republicans on some big issues. He said his decision to add his voice to a growing list of leaders opposing how U.S. political maps are made wasn’t about party.

“I’ve decided to join because I think what we have witnessed over time here is the fact that the drawing of these districts in a gerrymandered way, coupled with the newfound activism of the people, has just driven the Congress farther and farther apart,” he said. “And I think the time has come for the court to be able to make a big statement about the way in which we draw these districts.”