PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) -- Rhode Island Congressman Seth Magaziner revealed Friday he won't be moving into his own congressional district after all, reneging on a campaign promise that he'd relocate his family there after getting elected in 2022. The 41-year-old Democrat said he no longer plans t o move to Cranston and out of his longtime home on the East Side of Providence. Magaziner represents the 2nd Congressional District, which cuts through Providence but doesn't include the area where Magaziner lives with his wife and children. "Frankly, our family's circumstances have changed," Magaziner said during a taping of WPRI 12's Newsmakers. "My wife got a new job that requires her to commute to Cambridge, about a two-hour commute. We had a new baby, and as you noted, the house in Cranston ended up needing a lot more work than we expected." The residency issue first came up when Magaziner ran in 2022 to fill the congressional seat that opened after then-Congressman Jim Langevin decided not to run for reelection. While it's not a requirement that members of Congress live in the districts they represent, Magaziner nonetheless pledged he'd move into a home his family purchased in Cranston after the election. He doubled down on the pledge last October when a Target 12 investigation revealed he was still living in Providence, which meant his name didn't even appear on the ballot where he cast his vote. At the time, Magaziner told Target 12, "We bought a house in Cranston that we intend to move into once we’ve renovated it." But on Friday, he said his plans have changed since then. "We've decided that at this point, it makes sense for us to stay in our house in Providence," he said. "That's the right thing for our family," he said. "But I do want to emphasize, and this is important, living one mile from the district line has in no way impeded my ability to do my job and deliver for my constituents. I brought back millions of dollars of federal funding for every community in my district." "I continue to fight for the working people of the 2nd Congressional District with legislation in Washington, and I'll continue to show up and deliver, just as I have for the last two and a half years," he added. Following the interview, Magaziner aides highlighted that the congressman isn’t alone in living outside his district. They shared a 2023 YouTube video that counted 50 people, serving at the time, who didn’t live in the district they represented. The revelation Friday evoked sharp criticism from Rhode Island GOP Chairman Joe Powers, who described it as a "not-so-unbelievable turn of events." “No one is shocked, of course," Powers said in a statement. "After all, this is the same song and dance we’ve seen time and again from RI Democrats -- say one thing to get elected, then quietly do the exact opposite. It's not leadership, it's lip service. Rhode Islanders have grown sadly accustomed to this political bait-and-switch routine." Powers said people will take note of the broken promise, adding, "Rhode Islanders deserve better than political operatives parachuting into communities, making empty promises, and assuming no one will hold them accountable.” “Seth may not be required to live in District 2 -- but it’s clear he never really intended to," Powers said. "And that, more than anything, shows exactly where his priorities lie: not with the people he represents, but with his own political convenience.” Eli Sherman (esherman@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and on Facebook. Tim White (twhite@wpri.com) is Target 12 managing editor and chief investigative reporter and host of Newsmakers for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and Facebook. Ted Nesi contributed to this report. ...read more read less