By Michael Coughlin Jr.
Ben Weber, a Jamaica Plain resident for 15 years and workers’ rights attorney for 18 years has won the battle to represent District 6 as its City Councilor, defeating William King of West Roxbury, an IT Director for a local conservation non-profit during the November 7th Municipal Election.
Weber, who came out on top in September’s Preliminary Municipal Election, had another strong showing this week to win the position.
According to unofficial election results on the city’s website, Weber earned 9,541 votes (60.70%), while King came up short with 6,089 votes (38.74%). It should be noted that there were also 88 write-ins (0.56%).
These results illustrate the support Weber has garnered over the last few months, as he almost doubled the number of votes he received in the Preliminary and widened the gap between him and King from an almost 600-vote victory in September to an over 3,000-vote triumph on Tuesday.
Just before 9 p.m. on election night, Weber made a statement on his X (formerly Twitter) account, thanking his supporters.
“Thank you District 6 voters for your overwhelming support. I am thrilled for the opportunity to serve and represent you to help make Boston a city that works for all of our residents,” wrote Weber.
Throughout his campaign, Weber garnered support and endorsements from several unions, organizations, and elected officials, such as the Boston Teachers Union, Jamaica Plain Progressives, and current State Representative Samantha Montaño.
Additionally, he received the endorsement of Mayor Michelle Wu back in October, where she said Weber would “be an effective partner on the policies and constituent services for Boston to be the best city for families.”
Wu took to Instagram on November 8th to congratulate those who won re-election or new positions on the City Council with a statement and photos of some of the winners, which included Weber.
“Across the city, voters chose a new generation of leaders with the values and determination to build a Boston for everyone, and with the track record and experience to hit the ground running. I’m thrilled to welcome these Councilors-elect to City Hall and can’t wait to partner on getting things done,” wrote Wu in her Instagram post.
As for King, he was gracious in defeat, offering his well wishes to Weber in a statement to the Gazette.
“The voters spoke — I respect the results — and I wish Councilor-elect Weber the best, and I hope for his success, and I am happy to be a resource to him or help in any way,” said King.
While King indicated he has not given much thought to running for another elected position sometime in the future, he said, “Never say never.”
Along with his comments on social media, Weber also made a statement to the Gazette regarding his victory, saying, “I am overwhelmed by the results on election night. I want to thank everyone who voted.”
“I started out as someone who the experts probably would have predicted would finish third based on my lack of experience in politics. But through a lot of hard work, I think I was able to show voters that I am someone who will be a strong advocate for the people of District 6.”
If you would like to learn more about Weber, you can visit his website at https://www.weberforboston.com/.
To view unofficial election results for not only District 6 but the rest of the city, you can visit https://www.boston.gov/departments/elections/unofficial-election-results.