2021_Boston_City_Council_election

2021 Boston City Council election

2021 Boston City Council election

Local election

The 2021 Boston City Council election was held on November 2, 2021. All thirteen councillors from the nine districts and four councillors at-large were up for election. Elections in Boston are officially nonpartisan.

Quick Facts 13 seats on the Boston City Council 7 seats needed for a majority, Party ...

Councillors Andrea Campbell, Annissa Essaibi George, Kim Janey, and Michelle Wu ran in the mayoral election, while Matt O'Malley did not seek re-election. Councillors Ricardo Arroyo, Frank Baker, Kenzie Bok, Liz Breadon, Lydia Edwards, Michael F. Flaherty, Ed Flynn, and Julia Mejia ran for re-election; all eight were successful. Five new members were elected to the council; two at-large and three from districts (4, 6, and 7).

Background

Marty Walsh was elected to the mayoralty of Boston, Massachusetts, in the 2013 and 2017 elections.[1][2] On January 7, 2021, President-elect Joe Biden announced that he would select Walsh to serve as the United States Secretary of Labor.[3] Walsh resigned as mayor on March 22, after being confirmed as Secretary of Labor, and was replaced as acting-mayor by Kim Janey, who also served as president of the Boston City Council.[4][5]

The city council voted to move the primary election date from September 21 to September 14, in order to allow mail-in voting ballots for the general election an additional week of distribution time, which was approved by Mayor Janey.[6][7][8]

Incumbent status

The council members at the time of both the preliminary election and general election are listed below. The table further indicates if each incumbent ran for re-election, and if so, whether they were re-elected or not.

See also: 2021 Boston mayoral election
Matt O'Malley, acting council president at the time of the election
More information District, Name ...
† City council president and acting Mayor of Boston
‡ Acting city council president

Campaign

At-large

Two of the four incumbents did not seek re-election. Michelle Wu, who joined the city council in 2014, announced on September 15, 2020, that she would run in the mayoral election.[9] Annissa Essaibi George, who joined the city council in 2016, announced on January 27, 2021, that she would run in the mayoral election.[10] Incumbent councillors Michael F. Flaherty, who joined the city council in 2014, and Julia Mejia, who won election to the city council by one vote in the 2019 election, ran for reelection.[11]

Other candidates in the election included: Althea Garrison, the first openly transgender person to serve in a state legislature and former member of the city council; Ruthzee Louijeune, a lawyer who worked as senior counsel for Senator Elizabeth Warren's presidential and senatorial campaigns; Erin Murphy, a former teacher in the Boston Public Schools; Alex Gray, a policy analyst; and Nick Vance, a political action co-chair of the NAACP in Boston.[12][13][14]

The top eight vote-getters in the primary election advanced to the general election.

More information Candidate, Primary election ...

1st district

Councillor Lydia Edwards, who was first elected to the city council in 2017, announced that she would run for reelection and launched her campaign on February 26, 2021, at a virtual event.[17] Edwards was unopposed.

More information Candidates, General Election ...

2nd district

Councillor Ed Flynn filed to run for reelection.[19] He ran unopposed.

More information Candidates, General Election ...

3rd district

Councillor Frank Baker, who was first elected in 2011, announced that he would run for reelection after initially wanting to leave politics until the COVID-19 pandemic changed his plans.[21] Stephen McBride also ran in the election.[22]

More information Candidates, General Election ...

4th district

Councillor Andrea Campbell, who joined the city council in 2016, announced on September 24, 2020, that she would run for mayor.[24] Evandro Carvalho, who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, announced on October 19 that he would run in the election.[25] Leonard M. Lee Sr., a community organizer and member of the Boston Parks Commission, announced on February 3, 2021, that he would run in the election, stating that he was inspired to run after a nineteen-year-old was killed by the police outside his home.[26] Other candidates included: William Dickerson III, a former city council aide; Nikkia Jean-Charles, who was inspired by Ayanna Pressley's campaign for a seat in the United States House of Representatives; and Joel Richards, a Boston Public School teacher and Boston Teachers Union activist.[27][28] The top two vote-getters in the primary election advanced to the general election.

More information Candidate, Primary election ...

5th district

Councillor Ricardo Arroyo ran for reelection; John White also ran in the election.[11][31]

More information Candidates, General Election ...

6th district

Kendra Hicks, an activist, announced in September 2020 that she would run against councilor Matt O'Malley.[32] O'Malley, who joined the council in 2010, announced on December 2, 2020, that he would not seek reelection, so he could focus on his family.[33] Two other candidates also ran for the seat; the top two vote-getters in the preliminary election advanced to the general election.

More information Candidate, Primary election ...

7th district

Councillor Kim Janey, who was serving as acting-mayor and joined the council in 2018, announced on April 6, 2021, that she would run in the mayoral election.[36] Candidates for the seat included Tania Fernandes Anderson, director of a non-profit organization, and Roy Owens Sr., a perennial candidate in council elections.[37] The top two vote-getters in the preliminary election advanced to the general election.

More information Candidate, Primary election ...

8th district

Councillor Kenzie Bok, who joined the council in 2020, filed to run for re-election.[19] She was unopposed.

More information Candidates, General Election ...

9th district

Councillor Liz Breadon, who joined the council in 2020, ran for reelection against Michael Bianchi and entrepreneur Eric Porter.[11] The top two vote-getters in the preliminary election advanced to the general election.

More information Candidate, Primary election ...

Campaign finance

More information Candidate, Campaign committee ...

Endorsements

At-large district

Flaherty endorsements
Organizations
Gray endorsements
State officials
Halbert endorsements
Federal officials
Local officials
  • Andrea Campbell, Boston City Councilor from the 4th district and 2021 Boston mayoral candidate[58]
Organizations
Louijeune endorsements
Federal officials
State officials
Local officials
Organizations
Mejia endorsements
Federal officials
Local officials
  • Andrea Campbell, Boston City Councilor from the 4th district and 2021 Boston mayoral candidate[58]
Organizations
Monteiro endorsements
Federal officials
Local officials
  • Andrea Campbell, Boston City Councilor from the 4th district and 2021 Boston mayoral candidate[58]
Organizations
Murphy endorsements
State officials
Spillane endorsements
Local officials

1st district

Edwards endorsements
Organizations

2nd district

Flynn endorsements
Organizations

4th district

Carvalho endorsements
Local officials
Organizations
  • UNITE HERE Local 26
  • Pipefitters Local 537
  • Plasterers’ & Cement Masons Local 534
  • Laborers Local 151
  • Laborers Local 223
  • IBEW Local 103
  • United Auto Workers Region 9A
  • North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters
  • The Roofers and Waterproofers Local 33
  • The Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen Local 3
  • The Mass Retirees
Jibril endorsements
Organizations
  • Massachusetts Voters for Animals
  • Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus
Richards endorsements
Organizations
Williams endorsements
Organizations
  • Mass NOW PAC
Worrell endorsements
Local officials
  • Andrea Campbell, Boston City Councilor from the 4th district and 2021 Boston mayoral candidate[58]

5th district

Arroyo endorsements
Organizations

6th district

Kendra Hicks
Federal officials
Local officials
Organizations
Mary Tamer
Local officials

7th district

Anderson Fernandes endorsements
Organizations
Camacho endorsements
Local officials
  • Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins
  • State Representative Chynah Tyler
Organizations
  • Boston Teachers Union
  • North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters
  • Greater Boston Labor Council
  • International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 2222
  • Teamsters Union Local 25
  • The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union 1445
  • Mass Voters for Animals
  • Mass NOW
  • Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus

8th district

Bok endorsements
Organizations

9th district

Breadon endorsements
Organizations

Polling

At-large

General election

More information Poll source, Date(s) administered ...

Notes

  1. Officially nonpartisan
  2. Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear

References

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