Redistricting: From District 25 to 22? Woodard, DeKruif Gone?

Northfield may lose its current House representative, Kelby Woodard, without ever casting a vote.

According to a plan released late Monday by House Republicans to redraw the state's legislative boundaries for the 2012 election, Northfield would see significant change in its legislative boundaries.

Woodard, a Republican elected last year as Northfield's representative, lives in Belle Plaine, which is on the far west of District 25B, Northfied's current district.

Under the plan, Northfield's House district would become 22A, and would include the east half of Faribault, Kenyon and run south to the Steele County border. The Senate District would run through Steele County and include Owatonna (click on the attached maps to make them larger).

Northfield's most northern precinct, which is in Dakota County, would remain in a different legislative district, according to the proposal. That House district would become 54B.

Legislative districts are redrawn every 10 years following the Census. Boundaries are drawn to place roughly the same number of people in each of the 134 House districts and 67 Senate districts.

The House Redistricting Committee will discuss and likely move the proposal out of committee Tuesday night. The House would then have to approve the plan and pair it with a Senate plan, which has not been released yet.

If Gov. Mark Dayton vetoes the maps, the courts will redraw the lines after Feb. 21, 2012.

Woodard on Tuesday said with more than 5 million Minnesotans and shifting demographics throughout the state, the House Redistricting Committee made a sensible proposal.

"It's a difficult task," he said of redistricting, noting that communities of interests and other criteria were followed, but said the process is far from over.

The current plan has 20 House members drawn into the same districts, with five match-ups between Democratic representatives, four match-ups between a Democrat and a Republican and one match-up between two Republicans.

Under the proposed House plan, Patti Fritz, the DFL representative for 26B, which includes Faribault, will become the incumbent for the proposed District 22A.

David Bly, the former DFL representative for Northfield who was defeated by Woodard in 2010 by 37 votes, said he's still weighing his options about a 2012 run. Bly carried Northfield with 68 percent of the vote.

If the proposed plans becomes official, it will create an interesting decision for him, he said. Bly said Fritz is considering retiring from the House, which could open the door for him. Though he said he would not run against Fritz in a DFL primary if she chooses to seek a fifth term.

Concerning the proposed legislative boundaries, Bly said it creates some pretty competitive districts in the area and adds a new population that many candidates would have to introduce themselves to.

Woodard would fall in that category, retaining only Belle Plaine and Belle Plaine Township from his current constituency.

"The longer it takes to get this done, the (fewer) the people get to know who's running in their district," he said. "It's a whole new ballgame."

And though no Senate plan has been released, under the House plan, Sen. Al DeKruif, a Republican and Madison Lake resident who represents Northfield, would not live in the proposed District 22. This would leave Northfield without an incumbent senator in 2012.

Last week at a , Woodard said a big change was coming to Northfield's legislative district, saying significant growth in Belle Plaine, Lonsdale and the townships in the current district have forced the issue for a new district for Northfield.

And while he didn't see the plan until Monday evening, he said he wasn't too surprised.

"I enjoy representing the district as is, but because of our demographic changes, it's going to have to change," Woodard said Tuesday.

Curious what district you'll be in? Click here.