Small Slice of Bedford to Join Fifth Congressional District if Governor and Legislature Approve

November 4, 2021

A small section of Bedford will be added to the Fifth Congressional District if the revised map is approved by the Legislature and the governor.

And that should benefit the town, two key elected officials say. It’s a win-win.

“Bedford would benefit from having a second effective representative in Congress,” said State Rep. Kenneth Gordon.

Margot Fleischman, Select Board chair, agreed. “Bedford will benefit from having the support of two members of Congress,” she asserted.

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According to Gordon, the new boundary – always drawn in the middle of the street – would run from the Lexington line on Page Road, then southerly on Shawsheen Road, crossing The Great Road, and along Pine and Curve Streets, then across lots to Lexington.

The Special Joint Committee on Redistricting has scheduled a virtual public hearing on the draft maps for Tuesday at 1 p.m. “Nothing is set in stone until after the hearing,” Gordon said.  Then the proposal heads for a legislative vote and action by the governor.

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton has been the 6th District congressman since 2015. Bedford has been the westernmost community in the 6th, which includes almost all North Shore cities and towns, for some 30 years. Before that the town was tied to the Merrimack Valley district, represented by, among others, Edith Nourse Rogers, Paul Cronin, and Paul Tsongas.

The segment designated for change would join the 5th District, where the Congressperson since 2014 is U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, assistant speaker of the House.

“I’m thankful for the on-going working relationship we’ve had with Congressman Moulton and his staff, and look forward to getting to know Congresswoman Clark and introducing her to our community,” Fleischman stated. Gordon added, “I know Congresswoman Clark because I served with her in the Legislature.”

Gordon said he was surprised by the new boundary – particularly since his street is affected. That was a coincidence, he said; “I don’t believe anyone involved in the mapping checked where I live in Bedford,” he laughed.

Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763

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