Gov. Patrick Signs Congressional Redistricting Map

Gov. Deval Patrick has signed a new congressional redistricting map that eliminates one of the state's 10 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives while creating the state's first district where blacks, Latinos and Asian-Americans are a majority of voters.

The map reflects population shifts measured by the 2010 federal census that forced the state's number of U.S. House seats to shrink to nine beginning with next year's election.

The map also establishes a new southeastern Massachusetts district that includes Cape Cod, Plymouth and New Bedford.

No incumbent lives in the newly formed district, but freshman Democratic Rep. William Keating has indicated that he will run in it.

Keating lives in Quincy, which has been merged into a district where Rep. Stephen Lynch, a Democrat from South Boston, now lives.

"The districts are by and large competitive," Patrick said. "I think the balance that's been struck is very, very responsible."

With additional reporting by the WBUR Newsroom