Midwest to Lose House Seat in Next Reapportionment of Congress

Link to September 29 New York Times article, "Likely Losses of House Seats Stirs Partisan Feuds".

Excerpt:    Whatever the outcome of the fall elections, one political loser this year seems certain: the Midwest.

State population tallies, to be revealed at the end of December, are expected to show that in the coming reapportionment of Congress, seats will be lost across this region — in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio and perhaps, experts say, Minnesota or Missouri.

“When you think about losing six seats this time around,” said Tom Gillaspy, the state demographer of Minnesota, “that’s stark.” Minnesota is one of 12 Midwestern states that together commanded 143 Congressional seats a century ago, but that number is predicted to shrink to 94.

I recently read -- of course, now I can't remember exactly where -- that Illinois' U.S. House of Representatives District 17 resembles a rabbit on a skateboard.

This article mentions other odd district carvings.