Redistricting 2012: Mendota Heights Divided in House, Leaves St. Paul Congressional District

Editor's Note: Watch for more detail and response to new boundaries in upcoming posts. 

The attached Legislative redistricting map and Congressional redistricting maps were released by the Minnesota Supreme Court Tuesday afternoon. 

The Mendota Heights area will fall in House districts 52A and 52B, with what appears to be a dividing line along Highway 110.

Lilydale and Mendota both fall entirely in District 52A, while the northern portion of Mendota Heights joins 52A, and Mendota Heights south of Highway 110 is in 52B.

All of West St. Paul and a small segment of South St. Paul are included in 52A, while Sunfish Lake, Inver Grove Heights and a portion of Eagan are included in 52B.

Under the old boundaries drawn in 2002, Mendota Heights falls entirely in District 39A along with West St. Paul, the top of Eagan and a portion of South St. Paul.

The area is represented by Rep. Rick Hansen (D-South St. Paul) and Sen. Jim Metzen (D-South St. Paul). 

Minnesota Senate District

Senate District 52 includes all of Lilydale, Mendota and Mendota Heights, in addition to Inver Grove Heights and a portion of both Eagan and South St. Paul. These boundaries appear to be similar to the last district's allignment.

Congressional District

On the congressional level, Mendota Heights, Mendota and Lilydale now are considered Congressional District 2, along with all of Dakota County, Scott County, Wabasha County and a portion of Rice County. 

 The area had been part of the fourth district, represented by Betty McCollum, and including the city of St. Paul.

The lines of representation are redrawn after the results of the U.S. census every ten years. An ideal Senate district in Minnesota based on 2010 census data holds 79,163 constituents, and a House district would hold 39,582, according to redistricting criteria.

The new boundaries will be in place for the primaries of 2012, though local parties will start organizing almost immediately to evaluate their candidates for November's elections. 

Let us know in the comments, what do you think of the new boundaries?