There has been considerable attention on Haverhill being split between two state Senate districts, but the focus shifts to its House delegation—and loss of two seats—as the legislature takes up the plan today.
As draft maps stand now, Haverhill will be split between two representatives, leaving only expanded area seats currently occupied by Reps. Linda Dean Campbell and Andy X. Vargas. Seats now held by Reps. Lenny Mirra and Christina Minicucci will no longer have precincts in Haverhill. Minicucci of North Andover is the 14th Essex District representative and told WHAV this week what her district will look like.
“I won’t have Haverhill, Methuen or Lawrence anymore, and my district will go towards the coast, so it will be Boxford, Topsfield, Ipswich, going out that way, and Groveland. So, that will totally shift for me, but I think for the most part all the House members are saying ‘You did a good job. This is equitable. It’s fair. It’s based on, you know Merrimack, we got a lot more population in our cities up here in our corner, and things had to be carved up the way they were carved up,” she said.
The House votes today because candidates for House seats face a Nov. 8 deadline to live in the district where they hope to run in 2022. On Monday, before today’s vote was scheduled, Minicucci explained the urgency.
“The House has to be done soon, maybe in the next week or so, because there are people who may have maybe been redistricted out of their current district, and we have a residency requirement in the House. So, you need to be living in your house district for one year prior to the election. The election will be in early November next year, so the time is ticking on the House side,” she said.
Minicucci’s 14th Essex District, as proposed, keeps a portion of North Andover and adds Groveland, Topsfield and parts of Boxford. It picks up part of the district formerly represented by Bradford Hill, who left the legislature to become a gaming commissioner.
Besides dropping precincts in Haverhill, Mirra’s 2nd Essex District sheds Groveland, Merrimac and Boxford and adds Ipswich and parts of Amesbury.