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Topline Takeaways

• The state’s split legislature failed to draw new districts by the established deadline and passed the responsibility to a the state Supreme Court.

• The five-member panel of judges opted for a map that largely retains most of the old district boundaries and doesn’t produce many of a partisan shifts.

• The state’s competitive districts, MN-1 and MN-2, are expected to stay competitive following redistricting and the death of MN-1’s Rep. Jim Hagedorn.

Who’s In Control?

Minnesota’s redistricting process is controlled by the state legislature and requires the governor’s signature for approval. Control of the legislature is currently split: Democrats hold a majority in the state House while Republicans control the state Senate. The split legislature predictably failed to draw new districts by the deadline, forcing a five-person panel of judges to take over. (Minnesota’s legislature has consistently failed at passing new congressional districts for the past 50 years.) The new congressional districts were ultimately drawn by members of the state Supreme Court and were approved in mid February.

District Breakdown

Overall, Minnesota’s congressional districts saw cosmetic changes that shouldn’t drastically affect election outcomes. Districts in and around the Twin Cities shrank ever-so-slightly to account for recent population growth. Further north, Minnesota’s expansive seventh congressional district shifted west and relinquished some of its counties along its eastern border to expand MN-8. All of these districts retain their partisan strong leans and aren’t expected to see party changes in the near future as a result of redistricting.

Several counties in Southeastern Minnesota have shifted from MN-2 into MN-1 in ways that could prove impactful. This part of the state holds a high concentration of college towns which results in a rare mixing of rural conservatives and educated liberals. A few of these counties voted for Biden in 2020 and the ones that voted for Trump supported him at much lower margins compared to the rest of the state. Both of these districts are likely to be in the national spotlight when election season ramps up in the fall. Not only because both qualify as “competitive” districts based off of their 2020 vote, but also because both seats will be held by relatively inexperienced incumbents. Rep. Angie Craig has represented MN-2 only since 2019 and has never beaten an opponent by more than 5 points. Meanwhile, due to the recent death of Rep. Jim Hagedorn, MN-1 will hold two elections this year: a special election in August to find someone to serve the remainder of Hagedorn’s term and the normal midterm that decides who will hold the seat starting in 2023.

Leftover Links

• See the long list of candidates vying to replace Rep. Jim Hagedorn in MN-1’s special election. (The list even includes his wife, a former state Republican Party chair.)

• Learn more about trailblazer Rep. Angie Craig as she holds a number of “firsts:” first openly lesbian mother in Congress, first woman to represent MN-2, and first openly gay Congress member from Minnesota.