Redistricting in Michigan ahead of the 2026 elections
Redistricting is the process of enacting new district boundaries for elected offices, particularly for offices in the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures. This article covers redistricting activity in Michigan after the 2024 elections and before the 2026 elections.
Michigan's 13 United States representatives and 148 state legislators are all elected from political divisions called districts. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. Federal law stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.
Congressional districts
Litigation over congressional redistricting in Michigan after the 2020 census has concluded.
Michigan’s congressional district boundaries became law on March 26, 2022, 60 days after the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) published its report on the redistricting plans with the secretary of state.[1][2] On December 28, 2021, the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) approved what was named the "Chestnut" map by a vote of 8-5. Two Democrats, two Republicans, and four nonpartisan members voted to approve the plan with the five remaining commissioners in favor of other plans. As required, "at least two commissioners who affiliate with each major party, and at least two commissioners who do not affiliate with either major party" voted in favor of the adopted map.[3]
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Legislative districts
Litigation over state legislative redistricting in Michigan after the 2020 census has concluded.
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan struck down the state House and Senate maps on December 21, 2023.[4] The MICRC voted on June 26, 2024, to approve the state Senate map called Crane A1.[5] On July 26, 2024, a three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan approved state Senate district boundaries submitted by the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) on June 27, 2024, and authorized Michigan's secretary of state to implement the plan for the 2026 elections.[6]
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For a complete overview of redistricting in Michigan after the 2020 census, click here.
Summary
This section lists major events in the post-2020 census redistricting cycle in reverse chronological order. Major events include the release of apportionment data, the release of census population data, the introduction of formal map proposals, the enactment of new maps, and noteworthy court challenges. Click the dates below for additional information.
- July 26, 2024: A three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan approved the state Senate district boundaries submitted by the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission on June 27, 2024, and authorized Michigan's secretary of state to implement the plan for the 2026 elections.[7]
Court challenges
For more information about redistricting lawsuits in Michigan, click here.
Enacted maps
Enacted congressional district maps
Michigan’s congressional district boundaries became law on March 26, 2022, 60 days after the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) published its report on the redistricting plans with the secretary of state.[1][2] On December 28, 2021, the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) approved what was named the "Chestnut" map by a vote of 8-5. Two Democrats, two Republicans, and four nonpartisan members voted to approve the plan with the five remaining commissioners in favor of other plans. As required, "at least two commissioners who affiliate with each major party, and at least two commissioners who do not affiliate with either major party" voted in favor of the adopted map.[3]
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 a redistricting commission. Under the terms of the amendment, "Within 30 days after adopting a plan, the commission shall publish the plan and the material reports, reference materials, and data used in drawing it, including any programming information used to produce and test the plan." The adopted plan becomes law 60 days after the MICRC publishes that report.[3]
Beth LeBlanc of The Detroit News wrote that, “Unlike other congressional maps the commission had to choose from, Chestnut was set apart by its inclusion of Grand Rapids and Muskegon in the same district, its grouping of Battle Creek and Kalamazoo and its ability to keep Jackson County whole, instead of breaking off part of the county into an Ann Arbor area district.”[11] According to Clara Hendrickson and Todd Spangler of the Detroit Free Press, "According to three measures of partisan fairness based on statewide election data from the past decade, the map favors Republicans. But those measures also show a significant reduction in the Republican bias compared to the map drawn a decade ago by a Republican legislature, deemed one of the most politically biased maps in the country. One of the partisan fairness measures used by the commission indicates Democratic candidates would have an advantage under the new map."[12] This map took effect for Michigan’s 2022 congressional elections.
Enacted state legislative district maps
On July 26, 2024, a three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan approved state Senate district boundaries submitted by the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) on June 27, 2024, and authorized Michigan's secretary of state to implement the plan for the 2026 elections:[13]
| “ | On December 21, 2023, we unanimously held that the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission violated the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution when it drew the boundaries of thirteen state-legislative districts—seven House districts, and six Senate—predominantly on the basis of race. We therefore enjoined the Michigan Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, from holding further elections in those districts as they were drawn. ... The Commission has now submitted a revised Senate map, which Plaintiffs agree 'eliminates the predominate use of race that characterized' the previous plan. ... We have reviewed the record before us and agree that the new Senate map complies with this court’s December 21, 2023, opinion and order. ... Federal law provides us no basis to reject the Commission’s remedial Senate plan. The Secretary of State may proceed to implement the Commission’s remedial Senate plan for the next election cycle.[14] | ” |
The MICRC voted on June 26 to approve the state Senate map called Crane A1.[15]
On March 27, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan approved new state House district boundaries drawn by the MICRC for use in the 2024 elections. According to the court order:[16]
| “ | On December 21, 2023, we unanimously held that the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission violated the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution when it drew the boundaries of thirteen state-legislative districts—seven House districts, and six Senate—predominantly on the basis of race. We therefore enjoined the Michigan Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, from holding further elections in those districts as they are currently drawn. ... The Commission has now submitted a revised House plan, to which the plaintiffs have submitted several objections. We have reviewed the record before us and now overrule those objections.[14] | ” |
The MICRC voted 10-3 on February 28, 2024, to adopt the new state House map known as “Motown Sound FC E1."
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan struck down the state House and Senate maps on December 21, 2023.[17]
See also
- Redistricting in Michigan after the 2020 census
- Redistricting in Louisiana after the 2010 census
- Redistricting in Michigan
- State-by-state redistricting procedures
- Majority-minority districts
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- All About Redistricting
- Dave's Redistricting
- FiveThirtyEight, "What Redistricting Looks Like In Every State"
- National Conference of State Legislatures, "Redistricting Process"
- FairVote, "Redistricting"
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Michigan.gov, "Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission-Public Notice of Adopted Plans," accessed March 30, 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dave Beaudoin, "Email communication with Edward Woods III, Communications and Outreach Director of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission," March 1, 2022
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Michigan Legislature, "Article IV § 6" - Independent citizens redistricting commission for state legislative and congressional districts," accessed January 3, 2022
- ↑ United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan Southern Division, "Case No. 1:22-cv-272 Donald Agee, Jr. v. Jocelyn Benson," December 21, 2023
- ↑ Michigan Public, "Redistricting commission chooses final state Senate plan for court approval," June 26, 2024
- ↑ CourtListener, "Opinion and order," July 26, 2024
- ↑ CourtListener, "Opinion and order," July 26, 2024
- ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Redistricting commission picks new Michigan Senate map for court review," June 26, 2024
- ↑ PacerMonitor, "Agee, Jr. et al v. Benson et al," accessed July 30, 2024
- ↑ Bridge Michigan, "Michigan Supreme Court won’t delay redistricting map deadline," July 9, 2021
- ↑ The Detroit News, "Michigan redistricting panel wraps adoption of state House, Senate, congressional maps" December 28, 2021
- ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Michigan's redistricting commission adopts final congressional map for the next decade" December 28, 2021
- ↑ Michigan Advance, "Federal court grants final approval to new Michigan Senate districts," July 26, 2024
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Michigan Advance, "Redistricting commission selects a proposed Senate map on 6th round of voting," June 27, 2024
- ↑ PacerMonitor, "Opinion and order," March 27, 2024
- ↑ Michigan Public, "Federal court finds Detroit-area legislative districts unconstitutional, orders them redrawn," December 21, 2023
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