Redistricting Plan Could Divide Cambridge

Last week, the state legislature's Special Joint Committee on Redistricting released its proposed maps for Massachusetts' Congressional districts. As can be seen in the map below, this could possibly mean that for many Cambridge residents, their representative in Congress will change.

The 7th Congressional District (formerly the 8th) is shown in tan.

The legislature has approved this redistricting plan, and an amendment filed by Representative Alice Wolf that would have kept Cambridge within one Congressional district was defeated.

I want to take this opportunity to express my belief that Cambridge should remain whole within its Congressional district. Instead of maintaining a united Cambridge, the proposed district maps would have neighbors (in some cases neighbors living on the same street) being represented in Congress by different people. I am concerned about how this proposal could dilute Cambridge's role in Congressional elections and change the way in which its citizens are represented at the Federal level.

Despite joining with a number of my colleagues this week to voice the level of concern that this proposal has generated among the residents of Cambridge, the plan has cleared the legislature and now awaits Governor Patrick's signature. While it was my hope that we would see the final district map place all of Cambridge in one Congressional district as it has been for nearly 70 years, it appears that the city will be divided. I will be closely monitoring how this plan, which will require changes to Cambridge's precinct map, will affect the state, local, and national voting process for Cambridge residents.