Framingham expected to host new majority-minority legislative district

FRAMINGHAM — In more ways than one, change is in the air in terms of the city's representation in the Legislature. 

In what would be a first for Framingham, starting in 2023 the city is expected contain a legislative district that is majority-minority — that is, a majority of its residents would be minorities. In addition, the city is slated to have four state representatives, up from its current three.

“I just want to say loudly and clearly that I can assure everyone with every ounce of my being that our shared advocacy will continue, regardless of where Framingham’s four individual reps lay their heads at the end of the day,” said state Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis, D-Framingham, to the City Council on Tuesday night.

The city is currently split into three legislative districts represented by Lewis and state Reps. Maria Robinson and Carmine Gentile, all Democrats. Under a new map proposed after 2020 Census results, the city would have an additional representative.

More in redistricting:House map adds 13 majority-minority districts; potential open seat in Framingham

The House plans to vote on its redistricting plan on Thursday, while the Senate is expected to wait until next week to take a vote on its revised plan.

The new legislative districts must be finalized by early November, a constitutional requirement. 

“Maybe the biggest surprise, and I think most powerful news of all concerning this redistricting process in Framingham, is that Framingham’s increased racial and ethnic diversity, has to led to our city, for the first time, being able to host majority-minority opportunity districts,” Lewis said. “House leadership made it clear much earlier this year that in a community where a majority-minority district could be created, that it not only would be created, it would be as powerful as it can be.”

Because of a pandemic-triggered delay in compiling the Census, legislators voted last month to switch the order of drawing legislative political districts and local voting precincts; local changes usually come first. That means there will be a delay on a vote for City Council districts. 

More in redistricting:Population surge in Massachusetts points to legislative district changes

“We’re not going to be in a position tonight to vote for City Council districts, and probably won’t be for a period of time, because of the legislative districts, and there’s some possibility we might have to slightly — just slightly — amend our new precinct lines,” said City Council Chair George King during Tuesday's meeting. “We won’t be voting on the City Council districts tonight, and probably will not be until maybe sometime in December.”

Because each legislative district must contain roughly the same number of people, changes in terms of where people live have warranted shifts in the legislative map, Lewis said. Framingham is not unique in this; Lewis said no community has been exempt from shifts in precinct lines.

This necessitates a map that “may not always make sense for any one community,” he said. “Communities like ours can technically spread over the course of just two legislative council districts. But as we know, Framingham is not an island, and it is not an island in the legislative redistricting process either.”