Redistricting Commission selects final plan for Michigan Senate

The Michigan Redistricting Commission on Wednesday approved a new proposal for Senate districts in the Detroit metropolitan area.

The map redraws six districts that were declared unconstitutional. Many other districts in the region have also been redrawn to reflect these changes.

Commissioner Juanita Curry said the plan, nicknamed Crane A1, best serves the needs of Detroiters who had sued to have the old plan invalidated as racist gerrymandering.

“I talk to people all the time. I’ve led a church where people said what they wanted. And I know what they want in this area. And so the crane seems to represent what we need to do,” Curry said.

It took five rounds of open voting and an additional round of ranked choice voting before the 13-member commission could reach a consensus.

The Crane A1 map received the most votes in earlier rounds on Wednesday, but it did not receive the support of at least two commissioners representing each major political party, as required by the state constitution.

While Curry, a Democrat, supported the Crane A1 map, her three Democratic colleagues were divided in support for other proposals.

Commission Vice Chair Brittni Kellom instead supported a plan she had put forward. Kellom argued that the Crane A1 plan was not as popular and did not score as well on partisan fairness criteria as other proposals.

“I don’t think Crane A1 is the best representation of what the citizens of Detroit and beyond have expressed,” Kellom said.

Partisan fairness ratings for the new plan, based on past voting data, suggest Democrats could have a 21-17 seat lead in the state Senate.

Figures from the commission predict that Democratic candidates could have an average lead of around 63.6 percent, while Republicans could win with 58.5 percent of the vote. That gives Republicans a lead of around 5.1 percent when it comes to not wasting votes in red-leaning districts.

The map would also bring together certain incumbents, such as Senators Paul Wojno (D-Warren) and Veronica Klinefelt (D-Eastpointe).

The case will now be presented to a federal court for review by the plaintiffs in the case and a court-appointed expert.

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