Mahoning Valley - The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber is urging lawmakers to keep Mahoning and Trumbull Counties in separate congressional districts as Ohio prepares for its next round of redistricting.

The Chamber argues that having two representatives means more advocates in Washington and more opportunities to bring federal resources back to the Valley.

Dr. David Cohen, a political scientist at the University of Akron, pointed out that Republicans are looking to gain congressional seats and said that merging the two counties into a single district could weaken the region’s influence.

“Ohio has 15 seats total, and in order to do that, you have to erase the lines and redraw the district lines all over the state," Cohen said, "That’s going to be particularly the case in Northeast Ohio."

He said it’s still unclear exactly how the Valley’s districts will be affected, but the possibility of Mahoning and Trumbull being combined remains on the table.

“The question is, are they going to keep Trumbull and Mahoning County in separate congressional districts, or are they going to lump them together? They are neighboring counties, and it is very possible that at least part of those counties get shifted into another congressional district,” Cohen said.

Trumbull County Commissioner Tony Bernard echoed the Chamber’s concerns, pointing to potential projects in the works that depend on federal support.

“We need more infrastructure here," Bernard said, "We need more federal dollars coming here, and they’re both fighting for our districts and I think that's a good thing. And if they separate that, I think that it can hurt us." 

The Chamber said it has consistently opposed efforts to reduce the Valley to a single congressional representative, saying it could undercut the region’s long-term economic future.