Jamaica Plainers heading to the City’s preliminary election on Sept. 24 will be greeted to a vast array of choices for both the mayoral and At-Large City Council races. There are 12 candidates running for mayor, while 19 candidates are fighting for at-large. A JPer will appear in each race.
Meanwhile, there are two candidates and four candidates for the District 6 and District 4 seats, respectively. Both districts cover a portion of JP.
One JP resident—At-Large City Councilor Felix Arroyo—is in the mayoral race.
The other mayoral candidates are City Councilors John Connolly, Rob Consalvo, Mike Ross and Charles Yancey; Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative Executive Director John Barros; former police officer and co-founder of the TOUCH 106.1 FM Charles Clemons; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley; former state Rep. Charlotte Golar Richie; Codman Square Health Center founder Bill Walczak; state Rep. Martin Walsh; and Jackson Square resident David Wyatt.
For the At-Large City Council race, 19 candidates are in the fray, including JPer Douglas Wohn.
The other At-Large City Councilor candidates are incumbent City Councilors Stephen Murphy and Ayanna Pressley; Frank John Addivinola Jr.; Christopher Conroy; former City Councilor and mayoral candidate Michael Flaherty; Philip Arthur Frattaroli; former state Rep. Althea Garrison; Annissa Essaibi George; Jack Kelly III; Keith Kenyon; Martin Keogh; Catherine O’Neill; Jeffrey Michael Ross; Gareth Saunders; Ramon Soto; Seamus Whelan; Francisco White; and Michelle Wu.
The District 6 City Council seat has two candidates: JPer Matt O’Malley, the current office holder, and West Roxbury’s Luis Valerio.
The District 4 City Council seat, which covers the Woodbourne section of JP, has four candidates—none of whom are JP residents. The current office holder, Charles Yancey, is one of the four candidates. Yancey is also a mayoral candidate.
The other candidates are Steven Godfrey, Divo Rodrigues Monteiro and Terrance Williams.