By Jackson Chadwick | Photo of Boston City Hall by Jackson Chadwick
A crowded field of candidates narrowed Tuesday as Annissa Essaibi George and Michelle Wu advanced in the historic race for Boston mayor.
Wu, the frontrunner, garnered 35,888 votes (or 33.36% of all votes cast) to Essaibi George’s 24,186 votes (22.48%). District 4 City Councilor Andrea Campbell came in third, with 21,221 votes (19.72%), and Acting Mayor Kim Janey placed fourth, with 20,946 votes (19.47%). John Barros, former Boston Chief for Economic Development, placed a distant fifth with 3,436 votes (3.19%). 107,592 ballots were cast in total.
Kim Janey’s appointment to acting mayor in March made her the first woman and first person of color to serve as mayor since the city’s establishment 391 years ago. Janey announced her run for a full term in April, joining what was an already crowded field of candidates.
Both Essaibi George and Michelle Wu currently serve as at-large city councilors; since 2016 and 2014, respectively. The two are already charting a course for history — regardless of who ends up behind the mayor’s desk.
Essaibi George, the more moderate candidate, and Wu, the more progressive candidate, have received many different endorsements.
Essaibi George won the backing of the Massachusetts Nursing Association, Representative Kevin Honan (D) of the 17th Suffolk district, The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Union of Boston, Sheet Metal Workers Local 17, former Boston Police Commissioner William Gross, among others. You can read more about Anissa Essaibi George and her campaign here.
Wu gathered the endorsements of Senator Elizabeth Warren, district 1 City Councilor Lydia Edwards, district 9 City Councilor Liz Breadon, Sunrise Movement Boston, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 25, among many other local elected officials. You can read more about Michelle Wu and her campaign here.
Boston voters also advanced the candidacies of multiple other women of color running for at-large seats on the city council, including:
- Ruthzee Louijeune, the daughter of Haitian immigrants who grew up in the Hyde Park and Mattapan neighborhoods of Boston. A lawyer, Louijeune works with the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA). Louijeune placed third in a crowded race of 17 candidates, securing 33,425 votes (or 12.13% of all votes cast).
- Julia Mejia, who won a contentious recount by one vote in the 2019 election. Mejia is the council’s first Afro-Latina member and finished second on Tuesday with 38,765 votes (14.07%).
- Carla Monteiro, a first-generation Cape Verdean American. Monteiro, a Dorchester native, works as a social worker at Brigham & Women’s Hospital. Monteiro placed fifth, with 18,844 votes (6.84%).
The general election is on Tuesday, November 2nd. Of the eight candidates who advanced in the at-large race, only four will be elected. Incumbents Michael Flaherty and Julia Mejia are in strong positions to retain their seats. The remaining two seats will likely be contested among the other six candidates.
Contested elections will also occur across several city districts, including in:
- District 4, where Brian Worrell will go head-to-head with Evandro Carvalho. The incumbent councilor, Andrea Campbell opted not to run for re-election so she could run for mayor instead. District 4 includes the neighborhoods of Dorchester, Mattapan, and parts of Roslindale and Jamaica Plain.
- District 6, where Kendra Hicks will face Mary Tamer. Incumbent councilor (and current City Council President) Matt O’Malley decided not to seek another term. District 6 includes Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, and parts of Roxbury and Roslindale.
- District 7, where Tania Anderson will compete against Roy Owens Sr. The district is currently represented by Mayor Janey and includes Roxbury, and parts of the South End and Fenway.
Complete preliminary election results can be viewed on the City of Boston’s unofficial election results page here.
Synopses on city council candidates who advanced in the preliminary election can be read here.