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On September 14, Boston voters will decide which of the seven mayoral candidates will qualify for the November 2 general election.
Acting Mayor Kim Janey, who succeeded former incumbent Marty Walsh following his appointment to President Joe Biden (R )’s cabinet, is running for election for a full four-year term. Janey also sits on city council. Three other councilors — Andrea Campbell (District 4), Annissa Essaibi George (as an individual) and Michelle Wu (as an individual) —are running for town hall. Local media described Essaibi George as more moderate and the other three candidates as more progressive.
Three independent polls in recent weeks have shown Wu leading the pack and Campbell, Essaibi George and Janey within a few percentage points of each other for second place.
The personal backgrounds of the candidates have been a key theme of the race, which is expected to produce the city’s first non-white male mayor. All the leading candidates are women. Campbell and Janey are black, Essaibi George is Arab-American, and Michelle Wu is of Asian descent.
- Campbell, a lawyer, said the story of her and her brother, who died in prison at age 29, was the story of two Bostons divided by access to the opportunity. Campbell’s campaign website said: “Andrea’s career has been driven by the pain of losing Andre and a fundamental question: How can two twins born and raised in Boston have life outcomes? so different? “
- Essaibi George is the daughter of a Tunisian father and a Polish mother. She emphasizes her teaching experience: she taught at East Boston High School for 13 years. Essabi George’s campaign website says it “has put him at the forefront of the challenges and inequalities that Boston families face.”
- Janey spoke about her experiences as a college student during phase two of Boston’s bus desegregation and as one of two black college students in her class. She said her work “has focused on ensuring that every child has the opportunity to learn and be successful in a fairer city than the one I grew up in.” Janey worked for Massachusetts Advocates for Children from 2001 to 2017.
- Wu is the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants. She recounts her experience of taking care of her sisters when her mother suffered from a mental illness, saying: “It was like we were alone, invisible and helpless”. She said her time on city council taught her “what is possible with the city of Boston government.”
Satellite groups said they spent more than $ 2 million on the race. Among the highest spending were the Better Boston PAC, which spent $ 1.4 million to support Campbell; Real Progress Boston PAC, which spent $ 425,000 to support Essaibi George; the Hospitality Workers PAC, which spent $ 380,000 to support Janey and oppose Campbell; and the Boston Turnout Project PAC, which spent $ 334,000 to support Wu.
Boston will also vote on the 13 seats on city council, nine elected by district and four city-wide.
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