COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio has lost one seat in Congress as a result of new census figures released Monday.
Prompted by sluggish population growth, the loss of a U.S. House seat comes as the state embarks on a new system of drawing its congressional maps, which are considered among the most gerrymandered in the nation.
The latest census adjustment will take the state’s representation in the U.S. House to 15 representatives, down from the current 16. It marks the sixth straight decade of lost seats.
Ohio is one of seven states — California, New York, Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania and West Virginia — to lose seats while six states added seats, including Texas, which gained two.
The census data shows Ohio grew by 2.3% between 2010 and 2020 to 11.8 million residents. The national population grew by 7.4%