Politics & Government

Birmingham Moved From 9th District and Peters Representation

Under a redistricting plan signed by Gov. Rick Snyder this week, Birmingham will be represented in Congress by Thaddeus McCotter as part of the 11th District.

On Tuesday, Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation redrawing legislative boundaries for state House, Senate and Congressional districts, leaving Birmingham with changes in representation.

Under the new plans, Congressman Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Hills) will no longer serve Birmingham. Instead, the 11th Congressional District represented by Republican Thaddeus McCotter, would take over Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham.

Despite his district being split, Peters said Wednesday he is still running for re-election.

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“Even if these gerrymandered maps are allowed to stand, I am running for reelection to Congress because we need representatives who are focused on Michigan's future rather than being locked into the past," he said in a statement.

Peters said these maps are not immune to legal challenges.

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"Throughout this process, I have been working with the delegation to fight the proposed maps, and I will continue supporting any legal challenge as it goes forward," he said.

Reapportionment occurs every 10 years following the release of U.S. Census data. It is a mandate to keep districts equal in population. The state has until Nov. 1 to finalize the district maps.

In the state House

Before: Birmingham is part of the 40th District, represented by third-term Representative Chuck Moss (R-Birmingham). Moss's district includes Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Keego Harbor, Sylvan Lake and Orchard Lake Village.

Now: Birmingham remains in the 40th District, though the district would expand westward to include parts of West Bloomfield.

In the state Senate

Before: Birmingham is part of the 13th Senate District, represented by John Pappageorge (R-Troy).

Now: Under the plan, Birmingham stays in the 13th District.

Congress

Before: Birmingham was formerly part of the 9th District, led by Peters, a Democrat from Bloomfield Hills.

Now: Oakland County is now broken into four congressional districts (8, 9, 11 and 14), and Birmingham is now part the newly redrawn 11th district, represented by Livonia resident McCotter.

  • District 11 would almost encircle the southern half of the county and include everything from parts of Clawson and Troy to Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham west to Milford and south to Canton.
  • District 14 would include Farmington Hills (but not Farmington which would be in District 11) as well as West Bloomfield, Pontiac, Southfield and parts of Wayne County.
  • District 8 would include Rochester and Rochester Hills and the rest of the northern half of the county, from Oakland and Addison townships west to Holly and Rome townships.
  • District 9 would include Royal Oak, Ferndale, Berkley, Huntington Woods, and Bloomfield Township.


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