Minnesota Overview



Redistricting Process: For Congressional and state legislative redistricting, the legislature’s Subcommittee on Redistricting creates a plan and submits it to the full legislature for consideration and revision. This subcommittee is part of the Joint Legislative Coordinating Commission of the House and Senate. Once the legislature has approved a plan, it can be vetoed by the governor.


Governor: Democrat Mark Dayton


Legislature: Republicans control both chambers.


Number of Congressional Seats in 2011: 8 (no change from 2010)


2011 Ideal District Population: 662,991


Link to Minnesota Legislature: Redistricting 2010 Information


Current District by District Politics and Demographics




1st District– Democrat Tim Walz


2010 Congressional Results: Walz 49.3%


2008 Congressional Results: Walz 63%


2006 Congressional Results: Walz 53%


2004 Congressional Results: Gil Gutknecht (R) 60%


2008 Presidential Results: McCain 47% Obama 51%


2004 Presidential Results: Bush 51% Kerry 47%


District Population: 644,787


Over/Under Populated by: 18,204


White Population: 573,596


African American Population: 13,642


Hispanic Population: 33,517


See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 1st District.*



2nd District– Republican John Kline


2010 Congressional Results: Kline 63%


2008 Congressional Results: Kline 57%


2006 Congressional Results: Kline 56%


2004 Congressional Results: Kline 56%


2008 Presidential Results: McCain 50% Obama 48%


2004 Presidential Results: Bush 54% Kerry 45%


District Population: 732,515


Over/Under Populated by: 69,524


White Population: 626,655


African American Population: 23,650


Hispanic Population: 34,803


See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 2nd District.



3rd District– Republican Erik Paulsen


2010 Congressional Results: Paulsen 59%


2008 Congressional Results: Paulsen 48.5%


2006 Congressional Results: Jim Ramstad (R) 65%


2004 Congressional Results: Ramstad 65%


2008 Presidential Results: McCain 46% Obama 52%


2004 Presidential Results: Bush 51% Kerry 48%


District Population: 650,185


Over/Under Populated by: 12,806


White Population: 512,639


African American Population: 50,236


Hispanic Population: 25,801


See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 3rd District.



4th District– Democrat Betty McCollum


2010 Congressional Results: McCollum 59%


2008 Congressional Results: McCollum 68%


2006 Congressional Results: McCollum 70%


2004 Congressional Results: McCollum 57%


2008 Presidential Results: McCain 34% Obama 64%


2004 Presidential Results: Bush 37% Kerry 62%


District Population: 614,624


Over/Under Populated by: 48,367


White Population: 424,833


African American Population: 59,514


Hispanic Population: 46,505


See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 4th District.



5th District– Democrat Keith Ellison


2010 Congressional Results: Ellison 68%


2008 Congressional Results: Ellison 71%


2006 Congressional Results: Ellison 56%


2004 Congressional Results: Martin Olav Sabo (D) 70%


2008 Presidential Results: McCain 24% Obama 74%


2004 Presidential Results: Bush 28% Kerry 71%


District Population: 616,482


Over/Under Populated by: 46,509


White Population: 402,523


African American Population: 93,434


Hispanic Population: 58,639


See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 5th District.



6th District– Republican Michele Bachmann


2010 Congressional Results: Bachmann 53%


2008 Congressional Results: Bachmann 46%


2006 Congressional Results: Bachmann 50.1%


2004 Congressional Results: Mark Kennedy (R) 54%


2008 Presidential Results: McCain 53% Obama 45%


2004 Presidential Results: Bush 57% Kerry 42%


District Population: 759,478


Over/Under Populated by: 96,487


White Population: 685,794


African American Population: 18,221


Hispanic Population: 18,361


See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 6th District.



7th District– Democrat Collin Peterson


2010 Congressional Results: Peterson 56%


2008 Congressional Results: Peterson 72%


2006 Congressional Results: Peterson 70%


2004 Congressional Results: Peterson 66%


2008 Presidential Results: McCain 50% Obama 47%


2004 Presidential Results: Bush 55% Kerry 43%


District Population: 625,512


Over/Under Populated by: 37,479


White Population: 565,870


African American Population: 4,701


Hispanic Population: 24,063


See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 7th District.



8th District– Republican Chip Cravaack


2010 Congressional Results: Cravaack 48%


2008 Congressional Results: James Oberstar (D) 68%


2006 Congressional Results: Oberstar 64%


2004 Congressional Results: Oberstar 65%


2008 Presidential Results: McCain 44% Obama 53%


2004 Presidential Results: Bush 46% Kerry 53%


District Population: 660,342


Over/Under Populated by: 2,649


White Population: 613,232


African American Population: 5,743


Hispanic Population: 8,569


See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 8th District.


*In some browsers, the link to the 2010 Census page may link to a table of demographics for several states as opposed to the districts for the specific state.  If this occurs, click the “Back to Search” link at the top of the page and then click on the arrow next to “Geographies” in the left column.  Select “All Congressional Districts within Minnesota” and then close the box.  Click on the link for “Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age and Housing Occupancy: 2010” and the correct table should appear.


Redistricting Process taken from Rose Institute study “Redistricting in America.”