# 2021 Boston City Council election

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The 2021 Boston City Council election was held on November 2, 2021. All thirteen councillors from the nine districts and four councillors at-large were up for election. Elections in Boston are officially nonpartisan.
Councillors Andrea Campbell, Annissa Essaibi George, Kim Janey, and Michelle Wu ran in the mayoral election, while Matt O'Malley did not seek re-election. Councillors Ricardo Arroyo, Frank Baker, Kenzie Bok, Liz Breadon, Lydia Edwards, Michael F. Flaherty, Ed Flynn, and Julia Mejia ran for re-election; all eight were successful. Five new members were elected to the council; two at-large and three from districts (4, 6, and 7).

## Background

Marty Walsh was elected to the mayoralty of Boston, Massachusetts, in the 2013 and 2017 elections. On January 7, 2021, President-elect Joe Biden announced that he would select Walsh to serve as the United States Secretary of Labor. Walsh resigned as mayor on March 22, after being confirmed as Secretary of Labor, and was replaced as acting-mayor by Kim Janey, who also served as president of the Boston City Council.
The city council voted to move the primary election date from September 21 to September 14, in order to allow mail-in voting ballots for the general election an additional week of distribution time, which was approved by Mayor Janey.

## Incumbent status

The council members at the time of both the preliminary election and general election are listed below. The table further indicates if each incumbent ran for re-election, and if so, whether they were re-elected or not.
| District | Name | Entered office | Ran | Result |
| At-large | Annissa Essaibi George | January 2016 | No | Defeated in mayoral election |
| At-large | Michael F. Flaherty | January 2014 | Yes | Re-elected |
| At-large | Julia Mejia | January 2020 | Yes | Re-elected |
| At-large | Michelle Wu | January 2014 | No | Elected Mayor of Boston |
| 1 | Lydia Edwards | January 2018 | Yes | Re-elected |
| 2 | Ed Flynn | January 2018 | Yes | Re-elected |
| 3 | Frank Baker | January 2012 | Yes | Re-elected |
| 4 | Andrea Campbell | January 2016 | No | Defeated in mayoral election |
| 5 | Ricardo Arroyo | January 2020 | Yes | Re-elected |
| 6 | Matt O'Malley ‡ | November 2010 | No | — |
| 7 | Kim Janey † | January 2018 | No | Defeated in mayoral election |
| 8 | Kenzie Bok | January 2020 | Yes | Re-elected |
| 9 | Liz Breadon | January 2020 | Yes | Re-elected |
    † City council president and acting Mayor of Boston
    ‡ Acting city council president

## Campaign
### At-large

Two of the four incumbents did not seek re-election. Michelle Wu, who joined the city council in 2014, announced on September 15, 2020, that she would run in the mayoral election. Annissa Essaibi George, who joined the city council in 2016, announced on January 27, 2021, that she would run in the mayoral election. Incumbent councillors Michael F. Flaherty, who joined the city council in 2014, and Julia Mejia, who won election to the city council by one vote in the 2019 election, ran for reelection.
Other candidates in the election included: Althea Garrison, the first openly transgender person to serve in a state legislature and former member of the city council; Ruthzee Louijeune, a lawyer who worked as senior counsel for Senator Elizabeth Warren's presidential and senatorial campaigns; Erin Murphy, a former teacher in the Boston Public Schools; Alex Gray, a policy analyst; and Nick Vance, a political action co-chair of the NAACP in Boston.
The top eight vote-getters in the primary election advanced to the general election.
2021 Boston City Council at-large election :
| Candidate | Primary election | Primary election | General election | General election |
| Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| Michael F. Flaherty (incumbent) | 41,509 | 15.0 | 62,603 | 17.4 |
| Julia Mejia (incumbent) | 38,919 | 14.1 | 62,058 | 17.3 |
| Ruthzee Louijeune | 33,546 | 12.1 | 54,898 | 15.3 |
| Erin Murphy | 22,938 | 8.3 | 43,076 | 12.0 |
| David Halbert | 17,012 | 6.1 | 42,765 | 11.9 |
| Carla Monteiro | 18,911 | 6.8 | 39,876 | 11.1 |
| Bridget Nee-Walsh | 15,191 | 5.5 | 27,591 | 7.7 |
| Althea Garrison | 16,906 | 6.1 | 25,078 | 7.0 |
| Kelly Bates | 12,787 | 4.6 | | |
| Alexander Gray | 11,320 | 4.1 | | |
| Jon Spillane | 11,217 | 4.1 | | |
| Said Abdikarim | 7,767 | 2.8 | | |
| Domingos DaRosa | 7,011 | 2.5 | | |
| Donnie Palmer Jr. | 6,861 | 2.5 | | |
| Roy Owens Sr. | 5,265 | 1.9 | | |
| James Colimon | 4,693 | 1.7 | | |
| Nick Vance | 3,968 | 1.4 | | |
| Write-ins | 873 | 0.3 | 1,350 | 0.4 |
| Total | 276,694 | 100 | 359,294 | 100 |

### 1st district

Councillor Lydia Edwards, who was first elected to the city council in 2017, announced that she would run for reelection and launched her campaign on February 26, 2021, at a virtual event. Edwards was unopposed.
| Candidates | General Election | General Election |
| Candidates | Votes | % |
| Lydia Edwards | 10,558 | 97.3 |
| Write-in | 296 | 2.7 |
| Total | 10,854 | 100 |

### 2nd district

Councillor Ed Flynn filed to run for reelection. He ran unopposed.
| Candidates | General Election | General Election |
| Candidates | Votes | % |
| Ed Flynn | 15,029 | 98.3 |
| Write-in | 257 | 1.7 |
| Total | 15,286 | 100 |

### 3rd district

Councillor Frank Baker, who was first elected in 2011, announced that he would run for reelection after initially wanting to leave politics until the COVID-19 pandemic changed his plans. Stephen McBride also ran in the election.
| Candidates | General Election | General Election |
| Candidates | Votes | % |
| Frank Baker | 8,518 | 62.9 |
| Stephen McBride | 4,972 | 36.7 |
| Write-in | 62 | 0.5 |
| Total | 13,552 | 100 |

### 4th district

Councillor Andrea Campbell, who joined the city council in 2016, announced on September 24, 2020, that she would run for mayor. Evandro Carvalho, who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, announced on October 19 that he would run in the election. Leonard M. Lee Sr., a community organizer and member of the Boston Parks Commission, announced on February 3, 2021, that he would run in the election, stating that he was inspired to run after a nineteen-year-old was killed by the police outside his home. Other candidates included: William Dickerson III, a former city council aide; Nikkia Jean-Charles, who was inspired by Ayanna Pressley's campaign for a seat in the United States House of Representatives; and Joel Richards, a Boston Public School teacher and Boston Teachers Union activist. The top two vote-getters in the primary election advanced to the general election.
2021 Boston City Council District 4 election :
| Candidate | Primary election | Primary election | General election | General election |
| Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| Brian Worrell | 2,502 | 25.4 | 7,464 | 61.6 |
| Evandro Carvalho | 1,838 | 18.7 | 4,611 | 38.1 |
| Joel Richards | 1,320 | 13.4 | | |
| Josette Williams | 1,173 | 11.9 | | |
| Leonard Lee Sr. | 974 | 9.9 | | |
| William Dickerson III | 948 | 9.6 | | |
| Deeqo Jibril | 458 | 4.7 | | |
| Troy Smith | 427 | 4.3 | | |
| Jacob Urena | 185 | 1.9 | | |
| Write-ins | 24 | 0.2 | 41 | 0.3 |
| Total | 9,849 | 100 | 12,116 | 100 |

### 5th district

Councillor Ricardo Arroyo ran for reelection; John White also ran in the election.
| Candidates | General Election | General Election |
| Candidates | Votes | % |
| Ricardo Arroyo | 13,175 | 75.7 |
| John White | 4,127 | 23.7 |
| Write-in | 95 | 0.5 |
| Total | 17,397 | 100 |

### 6th district

Kendra Hicks, an activist, announced in September 2020 that she would run against councilor Matt O'Malley. O'Malley, who joined the council in 2010, announced on December 2, 2020, that he would not seek reelection, so he could focus on his family. Two other candidates also ran for the seat; the top two vote-getters in the preliminary election advanced to the general election.
2021 Boston City Council District 6 election :
| Candidate | Primary election | Primary election | General election | General election |
| Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| Kendra Hicks | 9,265 | 49.9 | 13,987 | 55.8 |
| Mary Tamer | 8,024 | 43.2 | 11,017 | 43.9 |
| Winnie Eke | 1,196 | 6.4 | | |
| Write-ins | 76 | 0.4 | 81 | 0.3 |
| Total | 18,561 | 100% | 25,085 | 100 |

### 7th district

Councillor Kim Janey, who was serving as acting-mayor and joined the council in 2018, announced on April 6, 2021, that she would run in the mayoral election. Candidates for the seat included Tania Fernandes Anderson, director of a non-profit organization, and Roy Owens Sr., a perennial candidate in council elections. The top two vote-getters in the preliminary election advanced to the general election.
2021 Boston City Council District 7 election :
| Candidate | Primary election | Primary election | General election | General election |
| Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| Tania Fernandes Anderson | 2,038 | 26.72 | 7,062 | 73.0 |
| Roy Owens Sr. | 1,300 | 17.05 | 2,562 | 26.5 |
| Angelina Comacho | 1,263 | 16.56 | | |
| Brandy Brooks | 747 | 9.80 | | |
| Lorraine Wheeler | 703 | 9.22 | | |
| Santiago Rivera | 570 | 7.47 | | |
| Marisa Luse | 552 | 7.24 | | |
| Joao DePina | 410 | 5.38 | | |
| Write-ins | 43 | 1.46 | 45 | 0.5 |
| Total | 7,626 | 100% | 9,669 | 100 |

### 8th district

Councillor Kenzie Bok, who joined the council in 2020, filed to run for re-election. She was unopposed.
| Candidates | General Election | General Election |
| Candidates | Votes | % |
| Kenzie Bok | 7,038 | 97.9 |
| Write-in | 151 | 2.1 |
| Total | 7,189 | 100 |

### 9th district

Councillor Liz Breadon, who joined the council in 2020, ran for reelection against Michael Bianchi and entrepreneur Eric Porter. The top two vote-getters in the preliminary election advanced to the general election.
2021 Boston City Council District 9 election :
| Candidate | Primary election | Primary election | General election | General election |
| Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| Liz Breadon | 5,075 | 71.7 | 7,304 | 71.4 |
| Michael Bianchi | 977 | 13.8 | 2,844 | 27.8 |
| Eric Porter | 774 | 10.9 | | |
| Write-ins | 253 | 4.5 | 88 | 0.9 |
| Total | 7,079 | 100% | 10,236 | 100 |

## Campaign finance

| Candidate | Campaign committee | Campaign committee |
| Candidate | COH | District |
| Frank Baker | $62,576.29 | 3rd |
| Kelly Bates | $61,737.76 | At-large |
| Kenzie Bok | $44,227.40 | 8th |
| Lydia Edwards | $106,067.81 | 1st |
| Michael F. Flaherty | $252,075.21 | At-large |
| Alexander Gray | $40,185.62 | At-large |
| David Halbert | $63,828.57 | At-large |
| Kendra Hicks | $76,456.51 | 6th |
| Julia Mejia | $101,899.46 | At-large |
| Erin Murphy | $48,238.95 | At-large |
| Ruthzee Louijeune | $129,825.33 | At-large |
| Mary Tamer | $74,801.94 | 6th |

## Endorsements
### At-large district

Organizations
* Boston Teachers Union
* National Association of Government Employees
State officials
* Jay Gonzalez, Secretary of Administration and Finance of Massachusetts
* Tim Murray, 71st lieutenant governor of Massachusetts
Federal officials
* Ayanna Pressley, United States congresswoman
Local officials
* Andrea Campbell, Boston City Councilor from the 4th district and 2021 Boston mayoral candidate
Organizations
* SEIU 32BJ
Federal officials
* Ayanna Pressley, United States congresswoman
* Elizabeth Warren, member of the United States Senate from the Massachusetts
State officials
* Sonia Chang-Díaz, member of the Massachusetts Senate from the 2nd Suffolk district
Local officials
* Kenzie Bok, Boston City Councilor from the 8th district
* Andrea Campbell, Boston City Councilor from the 4th district and 2021 Boston mayoral candidate
Organizations
* Boston Teachers Union
* SEIU 32BJ
* Sierra Club
Federal officials
* Ayanna Pressley, United States congresswoman
Local officials
* Andrea Campbell, Boston City Councilor from the 4th district and 2021 Boston mayoral candidate
Organizations
* Boston Teachers Union
* SEIU 32BJ
Federal officials
* Ayanna Pressley, United States congresswoman
Local officials
* Andrea Campbell, Boston City Councilor from the 4th district and 2021 Boston mayoral candidate
Organizations
* SEIU 32BJ
State officials
* Daniel J. Hunt, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 13th Suffolk district
Local officials
* Kenzie Bok, Boston City Councilor from the 8th district

### 1st district

Organizations
* SEIU 32BJ
* Sierra Club

### 2nd district

Organizations
* SEIU 32BJ

### 4th district

Local officials
* Ricardo Arroyo, member of the Boston City Council from the 5th district
* Liz Miranda, state representative
Organizations
* UNITE HERE Local 26
* Pipefitters Local 537
* Plasterers’ & Cement Masons Local 534
* Laborers Local 151
* Laborers Local 223
* IBEW Local 103
* United Auto Workers Region 9A
* North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters
* The Roofers and Waterproofers Local 33
* The Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen Local 3
* The Mass Retirees
Organizations
* Massachusetts Voters for Animals
* Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus
Organizations
* Boston Teachers Union
* Democratic Socialists of America
* Grassroots Law Project
* Greater Boston Labor Council
* Mijente Boston Asamblea
* Right to the City Alliance
* Run for Something
* Sunrise Movement
Organizations
* Mass NOW PAC
Local officials
* Andrea Campbell, Boston City Councilor from the 4th district and 2021 Boston mayoral candidate

### 5th district

Organizations
* SEIU 32BJ
* Sierra Club

### 6th district

Federal officials
* Ayanna Pressley, United States congresswoman
Local officials
* Ricardo Arroyo, member of the Boston City Council from the 5th district
* Julia Mejia, member of the Boston City Council from the at-large district
Organizations
* Boston Democratic Socialists of America
* SEIU 32BJ
* Sierra Club
Local officials
* Matt O'Malley, member of the Boston City Council from the 6th district

### 7th district

Organizations
* SEIU 32BJ
Local officials
* Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins
* State Representative Chynah Tyler
Organizations
* Boston Teachers Union
* North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters
* Greater Boston Labor Council
* International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 2222
* Teamsters Union Local 25
* The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union 1445
* Mass Voters for Animals
* Mass NOW
* Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus

### 8th district

Organizations
* SEIU 32BJ
* Sierra Club

### 9th district

Organizations
* SEIU 32BJ

## Polling
### At-large
#### General election

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Michael Flaherty | Althea Garrison | David Halbert | Ruthzee Louijeune | Julia Mejia | Carla Monteiro | Erin Murphy | Bridget Nee-Walsh | Undecided |
| Emerson College | October 26–27, 2021 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.3% | 45% | 20% | 37% | 47% | 48% | 34% | 39% | 24% | – |
| Suffolk University | October 15–17, 2021 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 30% | 9% | 16% | 21% | 29% | 15% | 18% | 10% | 35% |
| MassINC Polling Group | October 6–12, 2021 | 501 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 20% | 8% | 12% | 16% | 21% | 13% | 16% | 11% | 47% |