For more than 80 consecutive years, a Summit County resident has served in the U.S. House of Representatives.But that lengthy streak may be in jeopardy soon.Ohio Republicans unveiled proposed congressional districts this week that carve Summit into four districts, up from three.The plan also collapses Democrat Betty Sutton of Copley Township in with Republican Jim Renacci of Wadsworth.If the districts are approved by state lawmakers and incumbents win re-election next year, Summit — the fourth-most populous county in Ohio — could be represented by members living in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Medina and Trumbull counties.“Oh my gosh, this is crazy to know that a congressperson in Cuyahoga County, Cleveland, is going to have to handle West Akron,” said Summit County Council President Jerry Feeman, a Democrat. “To have nobody live in Summit County is absolutely ridiculous.”The last time there wasn’t a Summit resident in Congress was in the 1920s, when Martin L. Davey of Kent represented the area. Since then, Francis Seiberling, Dow W. Harter, Ed Rowe, Walter B. Huber, William H. Ayres, John Seiberling Jr., Tom Sawyer and Sutton have carried the Summit torch.The streak is more about bragging rights than anything else, given most counties are represented by members not living there, said Stephen Brooks, associate director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron.The real concern is whether representatives living elsewhere would identify with Summit County and its needs, he said.“It is a big deal in that sense,” Brooks said.The county has three districts now, with two members, Steven LaTourette, R-Bainbridge Township, and Tim Ryan, D-Niles, living outside the county. The current representation has worked well, according to county leaders.But Feeman blasted the idea of Democratic Rep. Marcia Fudge’s district snaking from Cleveland to Akron.“Is the lady in Cleveland going to take care of the city of Cleveland first before the city of Akron? Of course,” he said.Under the proposal, Portage and Stark counties are each divided among three districts.Brooks said he sees a benefit for the public by limiting the number of representatives within a county and media market. Residents feel more connected to Washington, D.C., with one individual, he said.The Ohio Campaign for Accountable Redistricting, a coalition of government watchdogs that held a citizen contest to draw new district lines, panned the proposal for splitting major cities and counties.“The districts create a new standard for gerrymandering,” group manager Jim Slagle said in a prepared statement. “The voters don’t deserve a map which would be awarded the booby prize if it were entered in the Ohio Redistricting Competition.”Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com.