Published in The Columbus Dispatch | October 30, 2025

Leadership Now Senior Advisor Richard Stoff writes that Governor Mike DeWine has the chance to close his tenure with a defining act of fairness: leading Ohio toward a nonpartisan redistricting system that reflects the will of its voters.

Stoff underscores that:

Governor DeWine pledged to lead an “Iowa-like” redistricting process to restore trust and remove politics from map-drawing.
Under the current system, Ohio’s legislative and congressional maps give one party overwhelming power, despite vote shares that suggest a far more balanced electorate.
Years of litigation and partisan stalemates have weakened confidence in state institutions and created instability that undermines business investment and economic competitiveness.

He calls on Governor DeWine to once again lead with principle — bringing both parties together to deliver fair maps that reflect Ohio’s voters and rebuild trust in its democracy.

As Stoff writes, “Trust is the foundation of leadership — and business attraction and economic competitiveness. If the people of this great state lose faith in their democracy, they will take their talent, their energy, and their investment elsewhere.”

Read the full article on dispatch.com.

Richard A. Stoff is the Senior Advisor to the Leadership Now Project. He is the founding and former president and CEO of the Ohio Business Roundtable and previously a partner with Ernst & Young's management consulting practice.