Republicans Monday unveiled a new map for Minnesota's congressional districts to give their party a political edge for the next decade and shrink Minnesota Democrats' power in Congress.

The draft plan would protect new Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack, give Democratic U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson a northern district and give Republican Reps. Michele Bachmann and Erik Paulsen an edge going into their next re-election fights. Unlike previous decenial plans backed by Republicans, the maps leave the two Twin Cities districts separate. The political hue of the districts as drawn appear to give Republicans four fairly safe districts, Democrats three and leave the southern first congressional district, now held by Democratic Rep. Tim Walz, as a swing district.

While the maps may not become law -- DFL Gov. Mark Dayton has said any redistricting plan would need bipartisan support and this likely won't -- it shows the GOP vision of the politics of the state.

Last week, House Republicans approved plans for legislative districts.On Tuesday, a House committee will hold a hearing on the congressional plan and a Senate committee will hear a plan for the legislative districts.

If the Legislature and the governor cannot agree to a plan, next year the courts would end up drawing the maps for the next decade.

Here's the congressional map. For more detail go here.

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