Republican or Democratic? What the newly redistricted maps mean for the Manchester area
Last week, just after Christmas, the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission approved new legislative and US Congressional Districts. These new districts are the end result of a process that began in 2018 when statewide voters voted to hand the process of drawing districts over to a non-partisan citizens group instead of the current political party in power in Lansing in an effort to reduce gerrymandering.
Currently Republicans control both the state House and Senate and the US Congressional delegation is split evenly between Democrats and Republicans. According to analysis by Bridge Michigan, these new maps would give Democrats — the party that receives the most statewide votes — an advantage in the majority of the seats in the state House, state Senate and Michigan’s congressional delegation (which is being reduced down from 14 to 13 because of statewide population loss). Bridge also reports that the map will now contain more swing districts, and depending who the candidates are, some districts could go either Republican or Democrat.
Under the new US Congressional map (known as the 'Chestnut' map), the Manchester area, including all four Townships, will be returning to the 6th District.
Although recently part of the 7th District, the Manchester area was previously part of the 6th District for 20 years, from 1972 to 1992. In 1992 the Manchester area was split between two districts when Freedom and Sharon Townships joined the 8th District, and Manchester and Bridgewater Townships joined the 7th District. Freedom and Sharon were also added to the 7th District in 2002 and we remained in the 7th District until the present.
Currently the 7th district is made up of Branch County, Hillsdale County, Lenawee, County, Monroe County, Jackson County, Eaton County, and almost all of Washtenaw (except the AnnArbor/Ypsilanti area). Under the New U.S. House Districts map, District 6 will be more compact than the sprawling current District 7 and will encompass all of Washtenaw (and all of Milan), Novi, and western and southern Wayne County.
While the current 7th District leaned Republican, based on the 2020 election results, the new 6th District will lean Democratic. This new 6th District has no incumbents living within it.
Where is the new 7th District? The 7th district will now be the Lansing area with only Eaton County remaining in it from the current district. It is also one of the new swing districts, projected to barely lean Democratic by 1% point.
Our current US Congressional Representative is Republican Tim Walberg. With the new districts, he won’t be located in the new 7th district, or the new 6th District with Manchester. US Rep Walberg will be located in the 5th district which encompasses most of the most-southern counties of Michigan. How will he fare if he chooses to run for reelection in his new district? He is the only incumbent located in the new 5th District and based on the 2020 election results, the district will safely lean Republican.
Under the new Michigan House Map (known as the “Hickory Map”), Bridgewater Township and the rest of the Manchester Area will be split between two different Democratic-leaning Districts.
Currently the Manchester Area is in the Democratic-leaning 52nd district made up of Western and Northern Washtenaw. Our state Representative is Democrat Donna Lasinski. She is term-limited and unable to run again for state representative.
Under the new map, Sharon Township, Freedom Township, and Manchester Township will be in the 47th District which will also include Lima Township, Scio Township, and south-eastern Jackson County including Grass Lake, Napoleon, Norvell, and Brooklyn. This seat is open due to term limits. Based on the 2020 election results, the 47th District will lean Democratic.
Bridgewater Township will be in the new 33rd District along with Saline, Saline Township, Lodi Township, and Pittsfield Township. The 33rd District has an incumbent, Democrat Felicia Brabec of Pittsfield Township. Based on the 2020 election results, the District will lean heavily Democratic.
Under the new State Senate Map (known as the “Linden Map”), the Manchester Area will be split in half between two different Democratic-leaning Districts.
Currently Manchester area’s four townships are in the State Senate’s 22nd District, made up of Livingston County & Western Washtenaw County. It is a Republican leaning district.
Under the new map, Freedom and Sharon Township will be located in the 14th District, made up of northern and western Washtenaw and all of Jackson except for the very western edge. It does have a current state senator incumbent living in it but because they are term limited, the district is open. It does however have two term-limited state representative(s) living in it who may run for state senate: our current state rep. Donna Lasinski, a Democrat from Washtenaw; and Julie Alexander, a Republican from Jackson County. Based on the 2020 election results, the 14th District will lean Democratic.
Manchester Township and Bridgewater Township, meanwhile will be located in the 15th District made up of South & East Washtenaw, plus Clinton Township & Macon Township in Lenawee County (including Clinton & Tecumseh), and all of Milan. The new 15th District has an incumbent State Senator living in it, Democrat Jeff Irwin, as well as a term limited State Rep, Democrat Yousef Rabhi. Both incumbents live in Ann Arbor. Based on the 2020 election results, the 15th District will lean very Democratic.
Our current State Senator, Republican Lana Theis, will remain in the new 22nd District. She is the only incumbent living in that district and based on the 2020 election results, it appears the 22nd will continue to safely lean Republican.
It is possible changes will still come to these new districts as there are lawsuits being filed in the courts.
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