Ohio Republican thankful Republicans redrew map to add Republican county to his district

Rep. Steve Chabot knows he has a tough race ahead of him to defend his congressional seat - and he's thankful Warren County got added to his district.

That’s why he asked 600 Republicans Friday night at Music Hall for their help as he defends it against Aftab Pureval, the young Democrat who upset established Republican Tracy Winkler in 2016 to become Hamilton County's Clerk of Courts.

Chabot also thanked the Ohio General Assembly for redrawing the boundaries of the First Congressional District.

“Thanks to great state representation, Warren County came into my district,” Chabot said at the annual GOP Lincoln/Reagan Day Dinner. “I love the people of Hamilton County. And I love the people of Warren County.”

Warren County is heavily Republican. President Trump won the county with 66 percent of the vote.

Chabot has represented Cincinnati’s West Side in Congress since 1995 for all but two years. Democrat Steve Driehaus in 2008 defeated him. But Chabot regained his seat in 2010.

After the 2010 U.S. Census, legislatures redrew political boundary lines based on new population figures in a process known as redistricting.

In 2011, the legislature added Warren County to the First District. Chabot has easily won re-election since.

Chabot summed up the region’s political makeup on Friday.

“The Democrats run the vote up in the city part of the district,” Chabot said. “We have to run up our votes in the county portion.”

Chabot also emphasized what will likely be a phrase often heard in 2018. Pureval owns a house in Hyde Park-outside the district-and changed his voter registration to a new Downtown residence the day he announced his campaign.

Chabot, a native West Sider, made sure to point that out Friday.

“We’ve got a guy who didn’t move into the district until the day he jumped in the race,” Chabot said.