In a historic election where four women candidates of color and one male candidate of color all vied for Mayor of Boston, voters on Tuesday have narrowed the field of seven candidates down to two.
On Tuesday, Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George finished in the top two spots and will square off in the November General election. Rounding out the election was Andrea Campbell finishing third, Acting Mayor Kim Janey coming in fourth, and John Barros rounding out the top spots in fifth place, according to unofficial election results posted on the City’s website.
“Today, Boston voters turned out on the doors, on the phones, on the streets, and at the polls to make their voices heard,” Wu said Tuesday night. “Given the numbers reported back from precincts across our city, we are certain that our campaign — which was the first to launch in this field, exactly one year ago — will be advancing to the November general election.I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
To kick off her general election campaign, Essaibi George told her supporters Tuesday night, “It’ll take all of us to move Boston forward. To bring cleaner air to Chinatown and East Boston. To bring more home ownership opportunities to Roxbury. To keep our small businesses strong in Mattapan, and thoughtful, inclusive growth to Allston. We’ll do it with an equity lens. We’ll do it thoughtfully. We’ll do it together. Nothing is off the table, when we ensure everyone is at the table.”
In the District 6 City Council race to fill the seat vacated by Matt O’Malley, Kendra Hicks and Mary Tamer came out on top, and will vie against each other in November. Hicks took home 49.97 percent of the vote, or 9,236 votes, while Tamer earned 43.19 percent of the vote, or 7,984 votes. Winnie Eke came in third place with 6.43 percent of the vote, or 1,188 votes.
Tamer issued the following statement to the Gazette on September 15:
“I could not be more thrilled to have finished yesterday’s preliminary as one of the top two candidates in the District 6 race for Boston City Council. We went into this preliminary knowing that this was a contest among three strong candidates, and I am proud to have been on a ballot alongside them.
Yesterday, we showed the expansive support we have across District 6 — support that we will build upon going into the November 2 final. These next six weeks leading up to November 2 will be hard-fought. District 6 deserves a City Councilor who has deep experience in policy to guide a City Council which will be in dire need of new leadership, given that 5 of the 13 members will be stepping down. District 6 also deserves a City Councilor who recognizes that through thoughtful policymaking and a collaborative approach to government, we can achieve both quality and equity for all students in our Boston Public Schools and deliver excellent constituent services to all residents.
Finally, I would like to thank Winnie Eke for her presence in this race. It has been such a pleasure getting to know Winnie, an extraordinary woman who ran a grassroots campaign that resonated with many voters in the District.”
Requests for comment from Hicks and Eke were not returned at the time of publication, but Hicks thanked her supporters on Twitter late Wednesday evening, saying “THIS IS YOUR WIN, LET’S BRING THE PEOPLE TO CITY HALL ON NOVEMBER 2ND!! #BOSPOLI“
Hicks also engaged with her supporters on Twitter throughout the day on Wednesday, as they celebrated her victory.
Finally, I would like to thank Winnie Eke for her presence in this race. It has been such a pleasure getting to know Winnie, an extraordinary woman who ran a grassroots campaign that resonated with many voters in the District.
Meanwhile, Michael Flaherty, Julia Mejia, Ruthzee Louijeune, Erin Murphy, Carla Monteiro, David Halbert, Althea Garrison, and Bridget Nee-Walsh will all advance to the city councilor at-large race in the November election, where four seats are open.
(With additional reporting by Dan Murphy and Lauren Bennett)