MN to keep all 8 congressional seats

In an unpredicted turn of events, Minnesota won’t lose its eighth congressional district, the Census Bureau ruled. Our state kept its eight house seats by the narrowest margin in history. The victory is a testament to Minnesotans’ diligence and mobilization to be active citizens in our representative democracy.

Minnesota grew by slightly under 400,000 in the last decade, bringing the total state population to 5,702,752. Though growing, states in the South and West are growing faster, and Minnnesota was widely projected to lose a seat.

According to Census Acting Director Ron Jarmin during an online presentation, Minnesota held onto its eighth seat by the narrowest of margins. If the state of New York had counted just 89 more people, it would have been allotted the 435th seat in Congress instead of Minnesota.

Minnesota had the highest self-reporting rate for the Census in the country at 75 percent, which experts believe played a role in Minnesota retaining its districts. Keeping its eight congressional seats means that Minnesota won’t lose clout in the Electoral College or Congress.

DFL Party Chairmen Ken Martin stated that the Census news showed “the people of Minnesota’s incredible commitment to civic engagement and democracy. As the state with both the highest census response rate in the nation at 75.1% and the highest voter turnout in the nation, Minnesotans should be proud of these results”