Say the word “gerrymandering” to even a partially informed U.S. voter and their blood pressure rises. They’ve seen the maps with amphibian-like shapes and the jokes on viral late-night clips. They know gerrymandering is bad. Few, however, fully understand what it is, how it works, how we got here, or what we can do about it.
Draw the Line in Ohio by legal analyst Rory Riley Topping and Washington correspondent Josh Rultenberg offers a grounded, firsthand overview of unfair redistricting through the story of Ohio’s recent gerrymandering fight. The battlecame to a head after the 2022 repeal of Roe vs. Wade, driving national headlines, including political scandals, special elections, backroom deals, and an eventual expansion of partisan power. At the center was a 2015 constitutional amendment that promised to make the state’s redistricting process less partisan and more transparent. A promise that Ohioans and voters nationwide would see broken. Through interviews with the Ohio Redistricting Commission (ORC), prominent politicians, advocates, and academics, Topping and Rultenberg break down legal cases and political maneuvers to help the average American understand exactly how, and why, gerrymandering is a chief cause of political corruption.
Written with clear, accessible language, and enlivened by smart analogies from the world of pop culture and sports, Draw the Line in Ohio keeps readers engaged and entertained – and brings well-timed levity to unpack what is arguably one of the greatest existential threats to US democracy. This thorough and thoughtful book also provides concrete proof that even when up against seemingly insurmountable odds, the most powerful person in any state isn’t one of its legislative leaders; it’s the voters when they speak up and use every tool available to defend democracy.
"Draw the Line in Ohio provides more proof that politicians will do everything they can to pick their voters instead of letting voters pick them. It's time to terminate gerrymandering and return power where it belongs, with the people."
"Gerrymandering is cheating. Ohio Republicans mastered it. In this well-written and deeply reported book, Topping and Rultenberg have unraveled their devious, lawless, and highly effective playbook. Read this now –because your state is next."
"In an era of dizzying cartographic acrobatics, when we've seemingly gone from redistricting every ten years to every ten seconds, Rory Riley Topping and Josh Rultenberg have performed a true public service by chronicling one state's tug-of-war between Republican gerrymandering, voters demanding reform, and ever-shifting courts. Draw the Line in Ohio tells the story of the state's chaos, but its lessons extend far beyond Ohio's lines. Readers across the country will benefit from learning about a microcosm of the nation's high-stakes reckoning with increasingly absurd partisan gamesmanship."
"Gerrymandering is not sexy. Most analysis and discussion of this assault on democracy gets lost in the wordy weeds. Thankfully, the work of Topping and Rultenberg is the opposite. With a compelling and page-turning story of facts, insights, and exclusive reporting, Draw the Line in Ohio makes readers feel not only more informed about gerrymandering but more emboldened to demand answers towards fixing our current reality. This dissection of Ohio is the blueprint to improve America."
