Michigan’s post‑2020 congressional map was drawn by the state’s 13‑member Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC), which was created by a 2018 constitutional amendment (Article IV, §6). The commission adopted its congressional “Chestnut” plan on December 28, 2021, and by operation of the constitution, it became law 60 days after the report was filed with the secretary of state and has governed elections since 2022. A federal lawsuit by Republican voters (Banerian v. Benson) challenged the plan on equal‑population and state criteria grounds, but a three‑judge court dismissed the non‑federal claims as non‑justiciable and denied a preliminary injunction on the equal‑population claim, leaving the commission’s map in place. A vote dilution claim (Detroit Caucus v. MICRC) was filed in federal court against the congressional and legislative maps, but was dismissed by the court in February of 2022 for lack of evidence.

State legislative districts followed the same path but saw later court‑ordered adjustments around Detroit. The commission adopted its Senate (“Linden”) and House (“Hickory”) plans on December 28, 2021. In Agee v. Benson, a three‑judge federal court ruled on December 21, 2023, that 13 Detroit‑area legislative districts were unconstitutional racial gerrymanders and ordered remedies. The court approved the commission’s new House map for use in 2024 on March 27, 2024, and later approved the commission’s revised Senate plan (“Crane A1”) on July 26, 2024, for use beginning in 2026.  Another lawsuit by the League of Women Voters of Michigan, alleging violations of state constitutional “partisan fairness” provisions, was rejected by the state supreme court in March of 2022. Read the commission's detailed report regarding the 2024 remedial plans.

While not a challenge against any map, in Detroit News, Inc. v. MICRC, Media organizations filed a complaint alleging the commission violated state transparency requirements by meeting in private and withholding legal memoranda. On Dec. 20, 2021, the court ordered the MICRC to release the closed‑session recording and seven memos.

last updated: November 2025