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Future elections in Southeast Michigan's legislative districts are on hold after a three-judge federal panel ruled that the race-based drawing of Michigan’s 2021 House and Senate redistricting maps was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The ruling looks likely to upset Michigan Democrats' razor-thin legislative hold on power.
The decision could also impact the special House elections in the 13th and 25th House districts in Westland and Warren left open by the resignation of former Representatives Lori Stone and Kevin Coleman. While those two districts are not part of the 13 combined House and Senate districts ruled to be gerrymandered, they both border the gerrymandered districts and may also need to be redrawn.
House Democrats would like expedited special elections to happen as scheduled by Governor Whitmer to restore their House majority. However, those special elections may need to be canceled to prevent elections in House districts based on an unconstitutional map. As a result, the House’s partisan split of 54-54 could remain for most of 2024 preventing any new gun control legislation in the year ahead.
Michigan's Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission is required to file a brief by tomorrow on how it would prefer the maps be redrawn or appeal the federal panel's decision to the United States Supreme Court. This task has been complicated by the resignation of three commissioners, including two Democrats, following the panel's ruling. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has said she would need about four months after any redrawing to update the state's qualified voter file.
The gerrymandering, in part, contributed to Democrats taking control of the Michigan House and Michigan Senate in the November 2022 election by combining urban neighborhoods with more affluent suburban areas. The federal judges will decide later this month whether the gerrymandered districts can be redrawn without impacting the surrounding legislative districts including the two scheduled for special elections.
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