OHIO HAS a new political landscape lately, but in the near future, that landscape will be changing in more ways than just a swing of power from the left to the right.

This past election brought a Republican regime to power like few have in recent history. The new Republican governor has taken office, and now that the dust of the 2010 general election has settled, all of the heads of the state’s executive branch offices – secretary of state, auditor, treasurer and attorney general – are at the helm with an “R” behind their name .

Also representing the Republican party – although it is technically a non-partisan position – are all but one of the justices on the Ohio Supreme Court. The lone Democrat on the panel is Yvette McGee Brown, who at the end of last year was appointed as associate justice by outgoing Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland. His failed run for re-election had Brown by his side in a bid for the lieutenant governor’s post.

Republicans now have control of both houses of the state general assembly as well, and in Washington, the new Republican Congress is headed by new House Speaker John Boehner, who represents Ohio’s 8th District. Ohio’s two U.S. Senate are currently held by one Democrat and one Republican.

While this power swing runs deep in a political sense, the shift comes at a time when one of the most important political changes in a decade is about to take place in Ohio – and ironically, it arguably calls for a non-partisan, non-political and transparently fair action.

As a result of the 2010 Census, Ohio will be losing two of its 18 Congressional seats by the time the 2012 election rolls around. This is nothing new to Ohio, which continues to grow in population, but at a slower rate than the rest of the nation. Ohio lost one Congressional seat in 2000 and two in 1990.

Redistricting is on the way, and the few remaining Democrats are already feeling a target on their backs

State legislators will be in charge of redistricting. The House and Senate must agree on a plan for new boundary lines for Congressional districts as well as new state House and Senate districts. The governor has the right to veto the plan, but with GOP control across the board, how likely will that be?

A five-member subcommittee for the redistricting has been set, with three Republicans and two Democrats on board. This subcommittee will make its recommendations to the full 23-member House State Government and Elections Committee before any bill on the issue makes it to the House floor for a vote.

Of the 18 Congressional districts in Ohio, only five are held by Democrats now. In the end, two districts will be eliminated, and it’s a safe bet it won’t be Boehner’s.

In the coming months, it will be interesting to see how – or how much – political influence dictates the way these districts will be redrawn and which districts will be cut.