Minnesota keeps 8 seats
This morning the US Census Bureau announced 2012 reapportionment resulting from population changes tracked by the 2010 census. As of April of this year US population increased to nearly 309 million people, that's up nearly 10 percent from 2000.
As a result of population growth and shifts 12 Congressional seats are being reapportioned affecting 18 states. Minnesota's population is up 7.4 percent from 10 years ago. The Census counted 5.3 million people in the state.
There were concerns that slow population growth in the Midwest relative to the West would result in Minnesota losing a Congressional seat in 2012, but that didn't happen.
Minnesota has not lost Congressional seat since the 1960 census when it went from nine to its current eight.
The race to keep Minnesota's 8 seats was extremely tight. Minnesota got the 435th seat in Congress. North Carolina was number 436 with a difference of 15,000 or so people.
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