Gov. Baker Signs Bills Creating New State House, Senate Districts

BOSTON (AP) — Gov. Charlie Baker signed two bills this week that will draw new district lines for all 200 state House and Senate seats in Massachusetts.

State lawmakers who crafted the new maps said the new districts will help strengthen the political clout of Black, Hispanic and minority voters.

In the new House map, the number of districts with a majority of minority residents will increase from 20 to 33.

Those majority-minority House districts include eight with a majority of Hispanic residents and two with a majority of Black residents. The other districts have a minority of non-Hispanic white residents.

The Senate also worked to create districts that will increase the opportunity for people of color to elect senators of their choice, including in Springfield, Boston and Lawrence, according to Senate leaders.

Both chambers are overwhelmingly Democratic. The new maps reflect the state's shifting population recorded by the 2020 U.S. Census.

Baker, a Republican, signed legislation creating the new maps on Thursday.

Democratic Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin said the new maps divide local precincts in multiple ways and will lead to chaos at the polls and "make it impossible for voters to understand who their elected representatives are."

He said some districts could require multiple ballots.

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