Bob Gibbs, House Republican Faces Early Challenges in Ohio, Retires

Ohio Representative Bob Gibbs announced Wednesday that he will not run for re-election, just as preliminary voting has begun in the state. Ohio’s reorganization process forced Mr. Gibbs, who has served in Congress since 2011, to run in the Republican primary against Trump-backed rival Max Miller, among others.

Mr. Gibbs Said in a statement The state’s congressional efforts to redraw the map have become a “circus” and he has criticized last-minute changes in his rural district south of Cleveland.

“It is irresponsible to effectively confirm the congressional map for this election cycle seven days before the polls begin, especially in the Seventh Congressional District where about 90 percent of the electorate is new,” he said.

Mr. Gibbs’ name will still appear on the district ballot, but signs will be posted at the polling station that votes will not be counted in his favor, Ohio Secretary of State spokesman Rob Nichols said in a brief interview.

Mr Gibbs faced a serious initial challenge from Mr Miller, an aide to former President Donald J. Trump. Mr. Trump backed Mr. Miller last year when he sought to remove Ohio’s candidate representative, Anthony Gonzalez, who voted to impeach Mr. Trump. But Mr Gonzalez said in September that he would not run for re-election.

Mr. Gibbs and Mr. Gonzalez were later moved to the new Seventh District. Mr. Gibbs voted against impeachment of Mr. Trump after the Capitol riots and voted to overturn the results of the presidential election, positions that former President Litmus considered a test for which he would support Republicans in 2022.

Wednesday Miller m Acclaimed Mr. Gibbs’s term.

Ohio is losing one of its 16 congressional seats as part of a decade-long restructuring process since the latest census. The state’s efforts to redraw its district lines have fallen into legal challenges.

In January, the Ohio Supreme Court rejected a congressional map drawn by the state’s Republican-led Redistricting Commission, calling it highly biased for a state where the GOP recently won nearly 55 percent of the statewide popular vote.

The court plans to hold a hearing on the new congressional map shortly after the May 3 primary, and the state legislature is hearing challenges to the fourth set of maps. Ohio Secretary of State Frank Loroz has removed state legislative races from the May 3 ballot, and no new date has been set for those elections.

Jane Miller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio, echoed Mr. Gibbs’ frustration with the reorganization. “Ohio may sway but it doesn’t seem that way because we have a history of this extreme gerimandering,” he said.

Reorganization is a potential determining factor in determining which party will control Congress. Both sides have sought to take advantage of states across the country – several states, including New York, Maryland, Alabama and North Carolina – have been involved in legal battles.

Contributed by Michael Wine Reporting.