By Michael Coughlin Jr.
As the November 7 Municipal Election approaches and candidates Ben Weber and William King continue to battle for the right to be District 6 City Councilor, Mayor Michelle Wu has officially voiced her support by endorsing Weber.
In an October 3 email announcing the endorsement, Wu wrote, “I’m proud to endorse Ben because his commitment to community starts with his own family. Like so many of us, Ben is a Boston Public Schools parent who knows how much of a blessing it is to raise kids in our neighborhoods—and deeply understands the challenges our families face.”
She went on to write, “As a dad, youth soccer coach, neighborhood council member, and workers’ rights attorney, Ben has spent many years fighting for a bright future for Boston.”
Adding, “He’s running to represent West Roxbury, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, and Mission Hill on the City Council so he can work alongside City Hall to deliver the policies and constituent services necessary to make Boston the best city in the country to raise a family.”
Weber, a 15-year Jamaica Plain resident who came out on top in the September 12 Preliminary election with 4,951 votes (42.25%), according to unofficial election results on the city’s website, feels honored to get Wu’s support.
“I am deeply honored to have earned the support of Mayor Wu and look forward to partnering with her to implement progressive policies to make Boston a healthier, more equitable city to live in,” said Weber.
With the endorsement, Wu indicated in her email that she would be mobilizing her team to knock on doors for Weber throughout the district and encouraged others to volunteer and make a donation.
Although Wu has endorsed Weber, that does not seem to have affected King. King, a resident of West Roxbury and IT Director for a local conservation non-profit, just fell short of the top spot in the preliminary with 4,384 votes (37.42%), according to the same aforementioned unofficial election results.
“The Mayor has the right to support whomever she likes,” said King. Adding, “Endorsements are nice, but the only support that really matters will come from the voters on November 7th, and I remain focused on reaching out to them and talking about the issues facing our community.”
Only time will tell who ends up taking the reigns of District 6 City Councilor in what could turn out to be a close race.
If you want to learn more about each candidate’s background and policy stances, visit the websites below.
Weber: https://www.weberforboston.com/
King: https://www.kingforboston.com/
For all election information, you can visit the city’s election webpage at https://www.boston.gov/departments/election.