Eighth District picks up more area as population declines

Every ten years, the census causes local, state and federal governments to look at redrawing voter districts to keep the population in each area roughly the same.

Minnesota is no different. And on February 15, the Minnesota Judicial Branch Special Redistricting panel came out with its plan, although usually the senate and house are tasked with this work. However, when the two sides couldn’t agree, the Minnesota Supreme Court appointed a special redistricting panel to “hear and decide challenges to the validity of state and legislative and congressional districts based on the 2020 census.”

The panel noted that based on the 2020 census data Minnesota achieved a growth rate of 7.6 percent, slightly higher than the nation’s growth rate. Based on that population growth, it would retain its eight congressional seats appointed to the state since the 1960 census.

In addition, the panel stated, “In approaching this task, we are mindful that courts lack the “political authoritativeness” of the legislature and must perform redistricting in a restrained manner.”

With that, the panel started with the existing districts and only changed them as necessary to “remedy the constitutional defect by applying politically neutral redistricting principles.”

Before hearing arguments, the panel sought input from the parties to come up with appropriate redistricting principles. Once the parties’ written submissions and oral arguments were listened to, the panel adopted seven principles to guide them through the process. Included in those principles was the Voting Rights Act of 1965, respect for reservation lands of federally recognized American Indian tribes, respect of political subdivisions, preservation of communities of interest without promoting or protecting or defeating any incumbent, candidate, or political party that is reasonably compact.

“We balanced these neutral principles in performing the task of redistricting,” noted the panel.

Population declines in the Eighth District have caused a shift to the west, and the district now includes all seven Anishinaabe reservations. Because of the shift, two politicians were moved from the state’s 7th Congressional District to the 8th Congressional District. The two DFL candidates who were running for Congress in the 7th District are Ernest Joseph Oppegaard-Peltier lll and Reed Olson, both from Bemidji. Olson has not made up his mind if he wants to continue his campaign in his new district while Oppegaard-Peltier lll has indicated he will continue his race, running against Republican incumbent Pete Stauber of Hermantown.

Minnesota had eight congressional districts and 201 seats in the legislature. Two congressional districts in the state’s southern half have the most significant changes. Still, politically, predictions are that the Eighth District will look much the same as it did in the last election cycle.