Eye on Lansing Democrats' redistricting map pits Peters, McCotter

By Kathy Barks Hoffman Associated Press LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan Democrats have drawn a congressional map that would pit Republican incumbent Thad McCotter of Livonia against Democratic incumbent Gary Peters of Oakland County's Bloomfield Township and avoid extending a Detroit district up to Pontiac, according to a copy of the map obtained by The Associated Press. Michigan Democratic Chairman Mark Brewer told the AP that the map shows how Detroit's two black-majority districts can be extended into the city's northern suburbs while remaining more compact than what Republicans drew for U.S. Rep. John Conyers' 14th District seat. Democrats planned to introduce the map as a substitute to the GOP plan during a Senate committee hearing Tuesday. Republicans control the redistricting process with majorities in the state House and Senate. Democrats and even some Republicans have criticized the way the GOP's proposed map carves Oakland County into four congressional districts and stretches both of the current congressional districts that include Detroit farther into the suburbs to pick up enough black voters to maintain black majorities. Detroit has lost a quarter of its population over the past decade. The GOP-drawn map would extend Conyers' 14th District north from Detroit to Pontiac and include the Oakland County communities of Oak Park, Southfield, Farmington Hills and Orchard Lake, among others. The 13th District held by freshman Democratic Rep. Hansen Clarke would stretch from Detroit south to Ecorse and west to the cities of Westland, Wayne and Romulus. McCotter's 11th District would spiral from Livonia to South Lyon, Auburn Hills and Troy before hooking around to end in Bloomfield Hills. Under the Democratic plan, the 14th District would stretch from Romulus in Wayne County through the west side of Detroit and up to Southfield and Oak Park in Oakland County, but go no further north. The 13th District's southern border would be in Wyandotte, with the district stretching up through Detroit and crossing for the first time into Macomb County, with Roseville and the south side of Warren being included. "This map demonstrates that it's possible to comply with the Voting Rights Act without the egregious gerrymandering of the proposed Republican map," Brewer said. "These districts are far more compact and contiguous than the southeastern Michigan districts in the Republican map." Michigan is losing a congressional seat because of falling population, which is why two congressional seats must be combined. The GOP map would pit Peters against fellow Democratic Rep. Sander Levin of Royal Oak over Democrats' objections. Besides putting McCotter and Peters into the same district, the Democratic map also puts Levin and Republican Rep. Candice Miller in the same district by adding Macomb County's Harrison Township to Levin's district. However, Brewer said Miller could move further north or east into Macomb County to grab a strong GOP district where no congressional member currently lives. The Democratic map leaves the outstate districts the way Republicans have drawn them. Republicans propose moving Calhoun County from the 7th District to the 3rd, protecting GOP Rep. Tim Walberg, of Tipton, from a rematch with his predecessor, Mark Schauer, unless the Battle Creek Democrat moves into the newly drawn district. Their map also would add more GOP territory to the 1st District, where Republican Dan Benishek now holds the seat. Republicans unveiled their map on June 17. Although the state has until Nov. 1 to put the map in place, GOP lawmakers want to pass the maps by Friday, which would leave time for legal challenges from opponents. Democrats and citizen advocacy groups want the public to have more time to comment on the map before it's passed. Published: Wed, Jun 29, 2011