November 9, 2021

New Bedford, MA – In a public hearing this morning, the Special Joint Committee on Redistricting heard testimony on the proposal to include a united Fall River in the 4^th Congressional District (CD4). This decision would split the cities into two separate Congressional districts as New Bedford would remain in the 9^th Congressional District (CD9).

In written testimony submitted to committee chairs, Rep. Michael Moran (D-Boston) and Sen. William Brownsberger (D-Belmont), State Representative Antonio F. D. Cabral (D-New Bedford) joined colleagues from New Bedford and Fall River, as well as advocates, business leaders, and constituents across these communities in advocating for joining New Bedford and Fall River in the 9^th Congressional District.

“I have always believed that a united Fall River should be in the same Congressional district as New Bedford. It never made sense to divide Fall River in the past and I was pleased the Committee corrected that issue with this proposal; however, to separate Fall River from New Bedford now negates the benefit of uniting Fall River.

New Bedford and Fall River are the sister cities of the South Coast, sharing many socioeconomic realities, and have worked together to create regional systems and infrastructure to serve our populations – SRTA, South Coast Rail, One South Coast Chamber, the Southcoast Community Foundation, UMass Dartmouth, and offshore wind development, all speak to that relationship.

But beyond the institutions, the people of New Bedford and Fall River share many life experiences. We come from an industrial past, fueled by the work ethic of generations of immigrants who make our cities their first home. These cities are the heart of the Portuguese-American and Portuguese immigrant community in the United States. Because the New Bedford and Fall River area is the largest Portuguese-speaking area in the country, the cities have also become the home of new waves of immigrants from Cabo Verde and Brazil, residents who do fall into protected classes because of their multicultural, intersectional backgrounds. In New Bedford and Fall River you will hear many languages spoken as you walk down the street. This diversity has created a welcoming environment for new immigrants from Central and South America as well the Caribbean, so Spanish and K’iche have been added to that language symphony. Our Latino populations are steadily growing in New Bedford and Fall River and deserve to stay united as well. To separate New Bedford and Fall River dilutes the influence all these people can have in the political process which governs their neighborhoods and their families.

Although there has always been a friendly rivalry, at the end of the day, New Bedford and Fall River understand and support one another. We are culturally and economically tied to each other. We have far more in common with the coastal communities along the Cape and South Shore – like Wareham, Plymouth, and Barnstable – which are all in the 9^th Congressional District, than with the “bedroom communities” near Boston that make up the 4^th Congressional District (CD4). It would be a disservice to the South Coast if our interests were divided,” stated Rep. Cabral.