The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) approved new congressional district boundaries by a vote of 8-5 on Dec. 28, 2021. Michigan was apportioned 13 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, one fewer than it received after the 2010 census. This map will take effect for Michigan’s 2022 congressional elections.
The vote approving the plan was supported by two Democrats, two Republicans, and four nonpartisan members, with the five remaining commissioners in favor of other plans. As required, the adopted map was approved by at least two commissioners who affiliate with each major party, and at least two commissioners who do not affiliate with either major party. The MICRC was established after voters approved a 2018 constitutional amendment that transferred the power to draw the state’s congressional and legislative districts from the state legislature to an independent redistricting commission. The maps will become law 60 days after the MICRC publishes a report on the redistricting plans with the secretary of state.
According to Politico, the map “will create battleground districts centered around the cities of Grand Rapids, Lansing and Flint. In a good year for the GOP, they could control as many as nine of the 13 districts. In an unfavorable environment for Republicans, that number could drop to four. Overall, the map creates seven districts that voted for now-President Joe Biden in 2020, and six that then-President Donald Trump carried last year.”
As of Jan. 3, 24 states have adopted new congressional maps, two have enacted maps that have not yet gone into effect, six states were apportioned one congressional district (so no congressional redistricting is required), and 18 states have not yet adopted new congressional maps. As of Jan. 3 in 2012, 31 states had enacted congressional redistricting plans.
States have completed congressional redistricting for 274 of the 435 seats (63.0%) in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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