ST. PAUL — The redistricting power grabs seen nationally and in many states haven’t happened in Minnesota, but it’s not for of lack of trying.

Divided government has kept the state’s two largest parties from having enough muscle to push through new electoral maps that could give them an advantage. And that effectively meant any political boundary changes after the once-a-decade census was done by the courts.

In the most recent round, in 2010, Democrat Mark Dayton’s slender 9,000-vote victory in the governor’s race gave his party a powerful blocker to Republicans who had just captured both legislative chambers.

Dayton sounded an early warning that he would veto any maps that didn’t have at least some bipartisan support.

Republicans passed their preferred maps for the state’s eight congressional districts and 201 legislative districts on party-line votes anyway. During a months-long process, Democrats frequently criticized the maps as blatantly partisan.

Dayton swiftly fulfilled his veto promise. A lawsuit drew the whole process into court — just as it was during divided state government 10 years earlier.

A special court appointed by chief of the state Supreme Court took over, coming out with its maps in 2012. The resulting congressional map left the state with two districts where Democrats have a clear advantage, two where Republicans are naturally favored and four that could tilt based on the times and candidates.