For Democrats in North Olmsted, the reshuffling of Ohio House districts for this year’s election has been jarring. It’s taken their Democratic-leaning community out of an increasingly blue district of far-western suburbs and put it into a toss-up district stretching from parts of Cleveland west through Brooklyn, Linndale, Brook Park, Middleburg Heights and parts of Olmsted Township to North Olmsted. The current 15th District representative, Democrat Richard Dell’Aquila of Seven Hills, was himself redistricted out of the new district. The open seat has spurred contested primaries on both the R and D sides.
Redistricting expert Chris Glassburn, one of two Democratic candidates seeking their party’s nomination in the redrawn 15th District, characterizes the district as 50-50, a tossup. Glassburn, 39, who has served on North Olmsted City Council since 2018, should know. As president of Project Govern since 2016, he’s served as Statehouse Democrats’ in-state map-drawing consultant.