UPDATED: Changes in Store for Eagan's Legislative Districts?

Carrying out a political campaign during a redistricting year is like playing a board game without a board, according to a handful of local politicians running for office this year.

Once every decade, the state undergoes legislative redistricting—a process that redraws the state's legislative and congressional boundaries to better reflect changes in the state's population and demographics.

The most recent round of redistricting is set to conclude this year on Feb. 21, At that point, if Gov. Mark Dayton and the legislature can't agree on a plan, a special, five-member Minnesota Supreme Court panel is expected to issue new district maps.

Those maps could bring significant changes to Eagan's political boundaries—and until they are released, some local political candidates aren't sure what district they'll be running for office in, or who their opponent may be.

Redrawing the Lines

Already, several legislative redistricting plans have been submitted to the Supreme Court panel for consideration—including plans crafted by the Republicans, the DFL and a group of progressive Democrats. While all three of the proposals submitted by the state's major political parties will be considered by the court panel, none of them are binding.

On the senate level, much of Eagan is currently represented by Minnesota Senate District 38. But under each of those three plans submitted to the panel, the city is split up in a variety of different ways.

According to the Democratic plan, the city will be divided into two new Senate districts—41 and 43—with the southeastern portion of the city combined with Inver Grove Heights. For their part, the Republicans under the Hippert plan would roll much of Eagan up with Burnsville and the southern half of Inver Grove to form the proposed Senate District 56. The third plan has nearly all of Eagan, the western half of Mendota Heights and Burnsville together in the newly-christened Senate District 40.

Shifting Ground

All that redrawing adds another level of complexity to an already complex process, according to Eagan Mayor Mike Maguire, who is running for the District 38 state senate seat this year.

Under the current legislative lines, Maguire will have to contend for the DFL endorsement with fellow Democratic candidate and former senator Jim Carlson. But under the Democratic plan, Maguire and Carlson would be split into separate districts.

Still, Maguire said he isn't letting the thought of redistricting distract him from the 2012 election campaign.

“If I let the fact that redistricting is out there figure into my pursuit of the campaign, it would quickly undermine my ability to move forward and build the campaign I need to win," Maguire said. “It’s a daunting prospect to think that if but for the swipe of one line on the map, all the work and investment you put in [to a campaign] could go for not."

Current Eagan City Councilor Gary Hansen's candidacy for House District 38A is dependent on redistricting. Hansen currently lives in House District 38B, which would make him ineligible to run in 38A, but both the DFL and Republican redistricting plans have his home in the city's 19th precinct shifting over to the 'A' side of the district.

"It certainly presents a challenge," Hansen said. "In my communications with party members, I have indicated that I'm confident that my residence will be redistricted into the 'A' side."

Carlson worries that the shifting district lines will cause confusion for local voters—some of whom may a new state representative or senator come Feb. 21. But the redistricting process has also made fundraising and seeking local endorsements tougher for candidates, Carlson added.

“We don’t know what district, precincts or people we’re going to be representing on the fringe of the districts,” Carlson said.

Redistricting has also complicated efforts for current District 38 Sen. Ted Daley. While Daley's big-picture strategies or message for the campaign season haven't changed, redistricting will affect "which doors we knock on," Daley said.

"We’re all waiting to see what the five judge court panel will issue on the 21st of February," Daley said. “Until then I’m going to keep working hard for the people."