Boston voters will decide right this moment whether or not Mayor Michelle Wu will get a largely free journey in her second time period on the do-nothing, dysfunctional metropolis council.
One of many main questions heading into an anticipated low turnout Election Day is can Wu save one among her stalwart supporters on the council, at-large incumbent Henry Santana, who’s in peril of slipping out of the operating. She is making a frantic, last-minute push to lift cash and votes for Santana, a former aide who completed fourth within the preliminary election.
And, can Wu probably pull a double victory by saving Santana’s bacon whereas ousting one among her nemeses, at-large Councilor Erin Murphy?
That might be a significant feat for the soon-to-be-second time period mayor, who herself is unopposed on the poll.
Murphy completed a strong third within the voting within the preliminary election and would seemingly be a troublesome out within the basic. She is difficult working and has locked up assist within the vote-rich Dorchester-West Roxbury-South Boston axis.
One other Election Day query is whether or not former Mayor Marty Walsh can efficiently elevate up Frank Baker, a six-term Dorchester district councilor making a comeback bid within the at-large race.
In September, Santana completed just some thousand votes forward of fifth place finisher Baker, a conservative who can also be well-liked in his house neighborhood and extra average areas of the town like West Roxbury. Baker is also being supported by state Sen. Nick Collins.
The Wu-Walsh battle is among the main sideshows in Tuesday’s election. Baker can be a significant thorn in Wu’s facet if he finishes in one of many prime 4 positions in Tuesday’s voting. If he goes down, count on extra of the identical from subsequent yr’s council, which didn’t precisely distinguish itself in 2025.
How low will the turnout be, is one other key query. As a result of Wu is unopposed, that ought to suppress turnout amongst progressives and damage the probabilities of liberal candidates like Santana.
However Wu has her subject operation geared as much as stop Baker and Murphy from benefitting from a low turnout contest.
Baker would be part of Councilors Ed Flynn, John Fitzgerald and Murphy as one of many solely Wu dissenters on the council. Flynn is anticipated to simply roll to a different time period in his South Boston district. The remainder of the council are all Wu flunkies who largely all the time associate with her priorities.
Council President Ruthzee Louijeune is anticipated to win the highest spot within the at-large voting, however she is barred by time period limits from looking for one other yr as council president. The jockeying for the subsequent council president has already begun.
The Boston metropolis council has little energy beneath the town constitution, however can vote up or down on the mayor’s price range.
The council president is essentially the most coveted seat as a result of that individual turns into performing mayor if Wu decides to maneuver on to the non-public sector or seeks one other workplace like U.S. Senate.
One other at-large candidate, Alexandra Valdez, who’s being supported by Wu and Walsh, additionally has an opportunity to crack the highest 4.
Coming in fifth in metropolis council races shouldn’t be meaningless. Whoever finishes fifth within the at-large race can be vaulted to the council ought to one of many members of the council transfer on.
Wu additionally has her eye on Tuesday night time on New York Metropolis, the place mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a socialist who has referred to as Wu his function mannequin, is anticipated to win.
Mamdani has referred to as on New York to make all buses free, have city-run grocery shops and is proposing different free stuff as a part of his socialist agenda, which Wu has largely additionally embraced.
