The Preliminary Municipal Election narrows down the ballot to two candidates for the Mayoral and district City Council races and eight for the At-Large seats. With the unofficial results in, all incumbent City Councilors and Mayor Michelle Wu will lead the ballots for their reelection in November – and the margins are not exactly slim.
Wu commanded 72% of the vote – a massive 49-point lead over millionaire philanthropist Josh Kraft, 23%. Community organizer Domingos DaRosa and former police chief Robert Cappucci followed with just about two percent of the vote each.
“Boston is not for sale and Boston will not be bullied,” Wu said in her victory speech. “When we face attacks, whether from an administration in D.C. intent on crushing cities, or from those locally intent on rolling back the progress we are making for everyone who calls Boston home, we will square our shoulders, lock our arms, and together, we will march toward progress.”
In his own speech, Kraft criticized Wu for comparing him to President Donald Trump. “She has tried to distract from her ineffectiveness on the issues that really matter to everyday Bostonians by attempting to unfairly tie me to Donald Trump,” he said. “ I’ll say it again, it couldn’t be further from the truth.”
The millionaire said, “The only poll that matters is the one in November,” and that he will be staying in the race. Kraft has reportedly spent $5.5 million of his personal fortune on his campaign so far, recently parted ways with top advisers Will Keyser and Eileen O’Connor, and has lagged in the polls since announcing his candidacy in February.
District 1 Councilor Gabriella Coletta Zapata beat out marathoner Andretti Stanziani with 77% of the total vote. Stanziani announced on July 29that he will no longer be actively campaigning for the seat.
In District 2, Flynn took in 86% of the vote, dwarfing Charles Delaney at 6%. Delaney himself narrowly overtook Republican Brian Foley by a fraction of a percent, only 41 votes. His campaign website was published less than a month before the election and currently lacks comprehensive information on his platform.
Brian Worrel, District 4, took 81% over Republican Helen Cameron with just 11%. Cameron does not appear to have a social media account or a website for their campaign at this time.
The District 7 seat formerly held by Tania Fernandes Anderson is the only vacant position on the council following her criminal conviction earlier this year. Boston United Track and Cross Country Club founder Said “Coach” Ahmed and Reverend Miniard Culpepper will go head-to-head for the seat in November. Ahmed won by only 42 votes over Culpepper, with the next runners-up, Maverick Afonso, Samuel Hurtado, and Said Abdirahman Abdikarim, all less than 100 votes behind.
All four Councilors At-Large brought in roughly 16% of the vote each. They will be joined by former District 3 Councilor Frank Baker, Boston Director of Cultural Affairs Alexandra Valdez, Veteran Marvin Mathelier, and Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Fair Housing & Equity Will Onuoha.
Districts 3, 6, 8, and 9 were unopposed. Councilors John Fitzgerald, Benjamin Webber, Sharon Durkan, and Liz Breadon will remain in office.
The Municipal election will take place on November 4, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Residents should register to vote by October 25. Early voting will take place from October 25 to 31, with sites and times to be determined.
Jacob Downey is a contributor to Caught in Dot. He is formerly of The Clock, Plymouth State University’s award-winning student newspaper. He enjoys spending time with his two kittens – Gin and Tonic – reading Uncanny X-Men and writing about local government meetings.
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