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Ohio Senate President Suggests State Split Primary Into Two Different Dates

Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) talks about possibly moving the primary date.
Andy Chow
/
Statehouse News Bureau
Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) talks about possibly moving the primary date.

A top Ohio lawmaker who’s on the commission that’s creating new legislative and Congressional maps suggests it's not possible for the state to hold a primary for those offices by May 3. With district maps in limbo, Senate President Matt Huffman says Ohio might need to hold the primary on two different dates.

Early voting is set to begin in five weeks. But Republican-drawn district maps for the state House and Senate and Congress, Ohio Senate and Congress drawn by the Ohio Redistricting Commission have been ruled unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court.

Republican Senate President Matt Huffman, who’s on the commission that has to approve the maps, says it might be time to consider splitting the primary in two.

"I don't see how we can conduct an election for the general assembly and the congressman on May 3. Are we going to penalize everybody else and upset that? No. So I think we're all searching for solutions."

Huffman says it's possible the state can still have a May 3 primary for local and statewide races.