Redistricting will carve up Michele Bachmann’s House district

State Sen. Tarryl Clark (D), who raised an impressive sum of money in a failed effort to oust Bachmann in 2010, could end up in the district of freshman Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.) next year depending on how the new map is drawn.  

Cravaack pulled off one of last year’s most surprising House upsets in defeating longtime Rep. Jim Oberstar (D) and Clark could make for a tough opponent in 2012 if her hometown ends up in Cravaack’s district.  

For Bachmann, who is considering a run for president next year, redistricting isn’t likely to change her calculation all that much, but insiders predict there could be a push to strengthen Cravaack’s hand ahead of 2012 by shifting some of Bachmann’s GOP territory to his district. 

Another district to watch is that of Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), who won his 2010 race by a slim margin. One possible scenario is that some of Kline’s Republican heavy territory could end up in Walz’s district, offering the GOP an even better pick up opportunity in 2012.