“I didn’t join the military to protect career politicians”   

COLUMBUS – Ohio citizen and proud U.S. Army veteran Brandon Barcus takes center stage in a powerful new ad supporting Issue 1, urging voters to take a stand against gerrymandering by voting “Yes on 1” in the Nov. 5 election. Early voting starts on Tuesday, October 8. 

In the ad, Barcus draws on his military service to highlight the importance of protecting democracy and ensuring that citizens—not politicians—are in control of drawing Ohio’s voting district maps.
“I didn’t join the military to protect career politicians,” Barcus says in the ad. “I served for citizens like you and me. I’m voting Yes on Issue 1 to restore power to us.”

The ad emphasizes how Issue 1 will remove politicians and lobbyists from the redistricting process and place that responsibility in the hands of Ohio citizens, including veterans like Barcus. With Issue 1, districts will be drawn through an open and transparent process, free from partisan manipulation.

“That’s democracy, and it’s worth fighting for,” Barcus declares.

Issue 1 is on the statewide ballot in the Nov. 5 election where early voting starts Oct. 8. More than a half million Ohio Republicans, Democrats and Independents from all 88 counties signed petitions to put the amendment on the ballot. It will put an end to gerrymandering in Ohio by removing politicians and lobbyists from the map-drawing process. Instead, an open and transparent process led by Ohio citizens will take the reins, ensuring that district lines are drawn fairly and impartially.

“We want to highlight the diverse range of Ohio citizens who will be eligible and encouraged to serve on the Citizens Redistricting Commission,” said Yes on Issue 1 spokesperson Chris Davey. “When Issue 1 passes, the Citizens Redistricting Commission could include veterans like Brandon, active duty military members, teachers, small business people, professionals, police, and firefighters – any citizen who is not a politician or one of their cronies or toadies.”  

The ad’s release comes at a pivotal time, as Ohio continues to grapple with the ramifications of gerrymandered district maps. Ohio is one of the top 10 most gerrymandered states in the country. Under the current system, backroom deals allow politicians and lobbyists to manipulate voting districts for personal and party gain, a practice Issue 1 will end once and for all.

The new ad is just the latest in a series of spots from the nonpartisan grassroots coalition: 

• Oct. 1 retired Ohio Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor appeared in a new ad advocating for a “Yes” vote on Issue 1. In the ad, O’Connor highlights her role in the Ohio Supreme Court’s repeated rulings against gerrymandered voting district maps, exposing the unconstitutional actions of career politicians. That ad is available here. 
• Sept. 25, to counter lies from the politicians designed to divide the Black community, some of the most prominent civil rights leaders in Ohio issued statements of support and appeared in a new adcalling on all Ohioans to vote yes on Issue 1 to end gerrymandering. That ad is available here.
• Sept. 24, the citizens coalition launched a $20 million broadcast blitz with a TV advertisement speaking directly to the Buckeye State’s diverse citizenry, underscoring that conservative, progressive and independent Ohioans all agree on one thing: Yes on 1 will end gerrymandering by firing the politicians. That ad is available here.
• Sept. 17 they appealed to Ohio State football fans as the season kicked off with a statewide digital ad showing how Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and his politician comrades have as much integrity as the cheating former head coach of the University of Michigan football team. The Jim Harbaugh ad is available here.

When passed, the Citizens Not Politicians Amendment will establish an independent redistricting commission, free from current or former politicians and lobbyists. The initiative will create a fair, transparent, and impartial redistricting process that genuinely reflects the will of Ohio’s citizens.

More than 100 organizations, businesses, and thought leaders across Ohio champion the constitutional amendment. The diverse coalition supporting the historic initiative includes Republicans, Independents and Democrats and is made up of business groups, nonpartisan policy groups, labor unions, civil rights organizations, and faith-based organizations representing hundreds of thousands of Ohioans across the political spectrum.

A bipartisan group of more than 90 business leaders has also released an open letter endorsing the amendment.    

Gerrymandering, the practice of drawing political boundaries to favor a particular party or group, undermines fair representation and effective policy. Ohio is recognized as one of the worst states for gerrymandering, affecting the lives of millions of Ohioans.

The Citizens Not Politicians Amendment will:

• Create the 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission composed of Republican, Democratic, and independent citizens representing the state’s diverse geography and demographics.
• Ban current or former politicians, political party officials, and lobbyists from serving on the commission.
• Require the creation of fair and impartial districts, prohibiting any drawing of voting districts that discriminate against or favor any political party or individual politician.
• Operate under an open and independent process.

Citizens Not Politicians is a grassroots, nonpartisan coalition of Republican, Democratic and Independent Ohio voters and includes nearly 100 organizations, businesses, and thought leaders across Ohio supporting a constitutional amendment that will end gerrymandering in the state.