Tag: redistricting

Republicans eye new House majority through redistricting

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Republican state legislators see this year’s decennial redistricting process as a prime opportunity to gain House seats in next year’s midterms — with some believing those gains alone can help the GOP take back the majority.

Legislators are preparing for the most public redistricting process in American history. Both Democrats and Republicans stand ready to accuse each other of radical gerrymandering, while advances in technology give each side the chance to draw ideal districts that are both pleasing to the eye and politically favorable.

Republicans start with an advantage. Continue reading.

Don’t assume new Electoral College map will help Republicans

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As always, the political uncertainty principle applies

ANALYSIS — The 2020 census and its ensuing reapportionment of Electoral College votes and House seats is doing what it has done for decades: scramble politics. 

At first glance, the shifts look to benefit Republicans more than Democrats, with Rust Belt and Democratic states losing Electoral College votes and House seats to Sun Belt and Republican states. 

Whether that happens at the House level takes time to sort out. States have to draw new district lines, and until they do, it’s tough to tell which party benefits more. Continue reading.

Census to announce Monday if Minnesota loses Congressional seat

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Losing one of eight House seats would trigger a complex realignment of the state’s congressional districts. 

The U.S. Census Bureau is set to release population counts on Monday that will determine whether Minnesota will keep all eight of its seats in Congress.

Minnesota, which has grown more slowly than many other states, has been on the edge of losing one of its seats in the U.S. House for decades. The last time Minnesota lost representation in Congress was after the 1960 population count.

The numbers will be released at a 2 p.m. news conference. Continue reading.

DFL Party Statement on Minnesota Keeping All 8 Congressional

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SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, following the release of block-level census data, it was revealed that Minnesota will keep all 8 of our representatives in the United States House. DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement in response:

“Today’s news is a testament to the people of Minnesota’s incredible commitment to civic engagement and democracy. As the state with both the highest census response rate in the nation at 75.1% and the highest voter turnout in the nation, Minnesotans should be proud of these results. We stepped up, fought hard, and retained a seat in Congress that most observers thought we would lose. I am thrilled that Minnesotans will retain their clout in Congress and say in the Electoral College.”

Speaker Hortman, Majority Leader Winkler issue statements about Census results, impact on redistricting

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SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Today the U.S. Census Bureau released new data to determine each state’s number of congressional seats and Electoral College votes for the next decade. Minnesota’s number of congressional seats remains unchanged at eight. Data released today is not used to determine new boundaries for new legislative districts. 

“Minnesota has a long history of good government and strong civic engagement. Thanks to Minnesotans’ excellent response to the census, Minnesota has retained eight Congressional districts. This is an important achievement for all of us. Congressional district allocation from the Census Bureau is an early and important step in Minnesota’s redistricting process. Minnesotans deserve an open and transparent redistricting process that results in a fair map,” said Speaker Hortman. “House Redistricting Chair Mary Murphy is well-qualified to take on this important work. She has the trust of Minnesotans in both parties and has an unassailable reputation for fairness. Now we anxiously await additional population data from the Census Bureau that is essential for the House Redistricting Committee to draw new districts.”

“Minnesotans expect their Legislature to draw fair maps and involve the public in drawing those maps,” said Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “The census data released today makes clear how important that work is, and we are committed to district maps that all Minnesotans can trust and have confidence in.”

Following Apportionment Announcement, Phillips Underscores Need for Unity, Advocacy, and Action to Ensure Fair Treatment for Our State

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Minnesota sends billions more to Washington each year than it receives in federal aid

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) released the following statement after the U.S. Census Bureau announced that Minnesota will maintain eight congressional seats in the 2021 reapportionment process:

“Minnesota’s high Census participation rates and population growth over the past decade means we’ll be keeping our representation, and clout, in Congress,” said Rep. Phillips. “That’s outstanding news. Minnesotans contribute more than our fair share to Washington, and I’m renewing my mission to bring more support back to our communities. This issue affects all Minnesotans, and I invite people and representatives of all political perspectives to join me in redoubling our efforts to advocate for the federal investments we deserve – and need – in this Congress and beyond.” 

In addition to determining the number of congressional districts within each state, the U.S. Census also impacts the distribution of trillions of dollars in federal funding for programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Head Start. Reduced federal funding would have a particularly large impact on Minnesota, which currently pays $1.8 billion more to the federal government each year than it receives in support.

Why your state might lose or gain clout in Congress after the census is released

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Rhode Island is likely to draw the short straw in the once-a-decade reshuffling of U.S. House seats

Rhode Island, now the most overrepresented state in the U.S. House, is likely about to become the most underrepresented.

In the next two weeks, the government will release state populations from the 2020 Census, and estimates suggest Rhode Islanders will lose one of their two seats in the chamber.

This is congressional reapportionment, the once-a-decade reshuffling of the 435 House seats among the states to adjust for population changes. Some states will gain clout, while others will lose. Even after the changes, House members from some states will still represent a starkly different number of people than others. Continue reading.

The 2020 fight to control the Minnesota Senate will focus on just a few seats. And it’s already started.

After winning close races in difficult districts in 2016, two Minnesota state senators didn’t have long to celebrate. Almost immediately, they rose to the top of an unenviable list: opposing parties’ most prominent targets in the 2020 election.

DFL Sen. Matt Little of Lakeville is the No. 1 target for Republicans hoping to hang on to their narrow majority in the state Senate next year. And GOP Sen. Paul Anderson of Plymouth has the same distinction for DFLers hoping to retake the chamber. As a result, both freshmen spent their first terms knowing everything done by them — and to them — could be a factor in the 2020 campaign.

But there is a significant difference between their situations.

View the complete October 9 article by Peter Callaghan on the MinnPost website here.

Population shifts set up huge House battleground

The Hill logoNOTE: Voting not just for federal races next year, but the state House and Senate because the state legislature will do redistricting in Minnesota after the 2020 census. And, the party controlling the legislative houses will draw the boundaries. With the recent Supreme Court vote saying they won’t weigh in on gerrymandering, you can bet the GOP will do what they can to maximize their political clout with bogus boundaries just like what happened in Wisconsin after the last session.

As many as 1 in 5 seats in the House of Representatives may be competitive next year as population shifts and partisan realignment conspire to create one of the most widespread battlefields in generations.

Democrats will find themselves on defense in dozens of districts the party captured in 2018, including 31 districts President Trump won in 2016. Already, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has identified 36 members for its Frontline program, which protects endangered incumbents.

Republicans, too, will have to defend districts in unexpected areas, seats that Democrats narrowly lost in 2018. Districts that have not been targets for years are suddenly in play, either because suburban voters revolted against Trump or because new residents are moving in and changing the makeup of those areas.

View the complete July 17 article by Reid Wilson on The Hill website here.

Supreme Court decisions could affect makeup of Congress for years

Redistricting, census questions among big-ticket items left on docket

The Supreme Court faces decisions during its last two weeks of the term that could influence congressional districts for the next decade and make the justices an even larger topic in the 2020 presidential campaign.

The court left its most consequential and politically contentious opinions for the end of the term, as it tends to do every year. The justices on Monday will release some of the 24 decisions yet to come before the end of June.

During that same period, the justices will announce which additional cases it will hear next term, which could include challenges to the Trump administration decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and whether the socially contentious LGBT rights issue about whether bakers who claim religious objections can refuse to make cakes for same-sex weddings.

View the complete June 17 article by Todd Ruger on The Roll Call website here.