Minn. to keep all 8 congressional seats

Published 8:35 am Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Associated Press

ST. PAUL— A new analysis predicts Minnesota is likely to keep all eight of its congressional seats.

The analysis released Sunday by reapportionment expert Kimball Brace shows Minnesota making the cutoff to hang onto its House districts by about 15,000 residents, with Missouri losing one of its seats instead. Brace heads Election Data Services, a Manassas, Va.-based political consulting firm.

Brace’s analysis comes with a couple of asterisks — he says they’re based on population estimates that don’t count the military, a potentially significant factor for states on the cusp.

Brace also says the outlook could change when the U.S. Census releases its official numbers at the end of the year. He includes Minnesota in a list of 16 states on the brink of gaining or losing seats.