On December 28th, Michigan’s Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) approved three final maps for U.S. House, Michigan State House and State Senate. These lines, drawn by the first time by the independent commission, will serve as the election boundaries for the next decade. The maps are the final maps pending any court or legal intervention. Currently, there is at least one pending lawsuit and it is possible that others may follow.
U.S. House of Representatives – “Chestnut” Map
Michigan lost population over the last decade, and due to reapportionment lost one seat in the U.S. House, down to 13 members. Currently, there is an even split between the number of Republicans and Democrats from Michigan in the U.S. House (7-7). The commission’s data shows that in this new map, Democrats hold a slight edge in favorable seats at seven total, with the Republican favorable seats at six total. At least three of those seats are competitive districts.
Specifically in West Michigan, there is a possibility of a major primary race between Republican Congressmen Fred Upton and Congressman Bill Huizenga where both incumbents were drawn into the new 4th Congressional District. Huizenga has announced his intention to seek re-election in the newly drawn district while Upton has not definitively announced, but has stated that if he were to run, it would be in the 4th District.
Congressman Peter Meijer will be running in the newly created 3rd Congressional District. This district combines Grand Rapids with the Muskegon area for the first time. And finally, adding a new but familiar face to the Grand Rapids Area will be Congressman John Moolenaar, who will be running to represent the new Second Congressional District, which includes several precincts in North East Kent County.
You can find a breakdown of Michigan’s new 13 Congressional Districts HERE and view the full map HERE.
Michigan State Senate – “Linden” Map
Michigan has 38 members of the State Senate and currently, Republicans hold a majority 22 seats to the Democrats 16 seats. The new Senate map is looking to be extremely competitive, with 14 seats favoring Republicans and 13 seats favoring Democrats, with the remaining nine seats being viewed as highly competitive. West Michigan has seven State Senator’s that represent the area, the same as before,, although somewhat reconfigured. According to the commission’s data, of those seven districts, six are seen as being favorable to Republicans.
You can find a breakdown of Michigan’s new State Senate Districts HERE and view the full map HERE.
Michigan State House – “Hickory” Map
Michigan has 110 members of the State House and currently, Republicans hold a 55-52 seat majority. There are three vacancies which will be replaced by special elections. The new House map is seen as competitive, with a slight advantage to Republicans overall. Republicans appear to be favored in 43 seats versus 36 for Democrats, with 31 competitive seats.
Kent County was split up into several districts increasing the number of legislators that represent portions of the county from seven to ten. Overall, West Michigan now accounts for roughly 14 seats in the State House. Of those seats, according to the commissions data, 10 seats favor Republicans. However, there are several highly competitive districts throughout West Michigan where either party could see a pickup opportunity.
You can find a breakdown of Michigan’s new State House Districts HERE and view the full map HERE.
Lawsuits
There is currently one pending lawsuit against the commission drawn maps, and there could be more to come. The first challenge was filed in Federal Court and deals with perceived violations of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). As the legal process plays out, it’s yet to be seen if these newly adopted maps will change. One thing is certain – unless the courts intervene, these maps will be the law of the land for the next decade.
You can read more about that lawsuit HERE.
Questions? Contact Nate Henschel, Director of Government Affairs at nate@grandrapids.org.
