Longtime Dem Reps. Levin and Dingell could face redistricting danger

by Shane D'Aprile - 12/22/10 8:32 PM ET

Republicans will largely control the redistricting process in Michigan
next year, and Democratic Reps. Sander Levin and John Dingell could suffer the fallout.

Given the big gains on the state level Republicans made last month, the single House seat the state must shed could come at the expense of one of the delegation’s senior Democrats.

Asked Tuesday whether he was concerned about the prospect of his seat being a target in the upcoming redraw, Levin wouldn’t say, but he did tell The Ballot Box the process is sure to test the limits of bipartisanship.

“Redistricting will be a test of whether the Republicans are capable of bipartisanship and fairness,” Levin said. “Republicans are talking about [working in a bipartisan way], so we’ll see.”

Rep. Gary Peters’ (D-Mich.) district could also be on the chopping block.

The most advantageous scenario for Republicans would be the merging of two Democratic districts, which would pit two incumbents against one another in 2012.

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According to new population data unveiled Tuesday by the Census Bureau, Michigan is the only state to see no population growth over the past decade. The state’s population fell by 0.06 percent — the first and only state in the past 20 years to see a negative growth rate.

-Updated at 5:15 p.m.

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