Michigan's new 14th: Who gets it?

The fight over redistricting Michigan's congressional districts wasn't terribly exciting or eventful. It's a bit of a surprise, then, to find that the really interesting gyrations are coming in now.

Current Congressman Hansen Clarke has announced that he will run for the House again, but in what will be the new 14th District. Meanwhile, State Senator Bert Johnson has changed his mind about running in that district. He will instead run in the new 13th. Congressman John Conyers doesn't appear to know what he's doing next. He might run in the 14th, or he might run in the 13th.

Senator Johnson, we're sure, would like to see him run in the 14th, as Conyers will almost certainly win wherever he goes. But that isn't the most interesting point about the situation. What is fascinating is that when the new districts were drawn, they were drawn to protect Michigan's minority seats, as held by Conyers and Clarke. Now there's a chance that one of them will lose their job anyway.

Who'd a thought that the more interesting details about redistricting would come from the very congressmen they were drawn to protect? The scenario may not play ought. In fact, it probably will not. But the local 2012 elections are already interesting indeed.