Elections

State Rep. Nika Elugardo Running for State Senate

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After carefully weighing her decision, state Rep. Nika Elugardo has chosen to run for the state senate seat being vacated by current state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz. Elugardo was first elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 2018, defeating longtime incumbent Jeffrey Sanchez to represent the 15th Suffolk District seat. "I was trying to stay out to lift up others and learned through a variety of recent experiences that stepping into the race was the best way to serve. I’m excited about what 2nd Suffolk is ready for, and I’m so ready to bring it!" said Elugardo to Jamaica Plain News.

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History

Jamaica Plain Has Been Called ‘Home’ By Five Boston Mayors

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With Michelle Wu being elected as Boston mayor, we thought it would be interesting to look back at the mayors who called Jamaica Plain home. For the record, Wu currently lives one neighborhood over, in Roslindale. James Michael Curley
Many residents have stories about the house in the Curley era: clients who came to the door in the morning for help (as seen in the Curley novel, The Last Hurrah), the long line of mourners at the double funerals of his children, Mary and Leo, in 1950, and the famous people who visited 350 Jamaicaway over the years. The sale of the shamrock-shuttered home of James Michael Curley rightly drew the attention of a new generation to this legendary mayor’s long residence in our area. Though His Honor lived in the house from 1915 onwards, the second longest-serving mayor of Boston (16 years in all) did not die there.

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Schools

Hernández School Students Couldn’t Vote, So They Interviewed Who Could

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The eighth grade students of the Rafael Hernández K-8 School were too young to vote on Election Day. Instead they got an Election Day education by hitting the polls to interview voters and learn about their views on the candidates and issues.  

The following article was written by the eighth graders of the Hernandez School:

Views from Green Street 
Eighth grade students from the Rafael Hernández K-8 in Egleston Square took a trip to the polls on the  morning of November 2nd, 2021, the day of Boston's  election. We went to the Bowditch polling station on Green Street to interview voters. 

The weather was sunny and crisp, and many voters came out with their dogs and children. Fourteen students (and their two teachers) stood in a line in front of the Bowditch building with clipboards. Some voters walked by, staring with a confused look, but we pushed out of our comfort zones to start conversations with these strangers.

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Elections

At-Large City Council Election: Flaherty, Mejia, Louijeune Go 1-2-3; Murphy Takes 4th

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The two incumbents in the At-Large Boston City Council election, Michael Flaherty and Julia Mejia, easily took first and second in Tuesday's contest. In 2019, Mejia won her first at-large city council race by a mere one vote! This time it wasn't that close as she finished second with 61,709 votes (17.27%), and Flaherty took first with 62,242 votes (17.42%), according to unofficial results from Boston's Elections Department. DAVID HALBERT
42,516
11.90%

BRIDGET M NEE-WALSH
27,424
7.68%

JULIA MEJIA
61,709
17.27%

CARLA MONTEIRO
39,648
11.10%

RUTHZEE LOUIJEUNE
54,601
15.28%

ALTHEA GARRISON
24,914
6.97%

MICHAEL F FLAHERTY
62,242
17.42%

ERIN J MURPHY
42,841
11.99%

First time candidate Ruthzee Louijeune took third place with 54,601, and will be the first Haitian-American to be on the council. Louijeune grew up in Boston, and attended Boston Public Schools.

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Elections

Michelle Wu Becomes First Woman and Person of Color Elected as Boston Mayor

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In Boston's almost 200 years of having mayors there has never been a non-white male elected as mayor. That changed on Tuesday when Michelle Wu easily defeated Annissa Essaibi George. Wu was first elected as an At-Large Boston City Councilor in 2014 at the age of 29, and will be sworn in as mayor on November 16. Normally elected mayors of Boston are sworn in the beginning of January, but Acting Mayor Kim Janey agreed to a quicker transfer of power with Wu and Essaibi George. As expected, Wu easily defeated her fellow At-Large City Councilor, by a wide margin.

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Elections

Video: Kendra Hicks Wins Boston City Council District 6 Election

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Kendra Hicks will be the next District 6 Boston City Councilor after winning Tuesday's historic election. Unofficial results from Boston's Elections Department were not fully available on Tuesday night. But election results gathered by Hicks' campaign showed the Jamaica Plain resident had defeated West Roxbury's Mary Tamer after a very intense election. Outside of her election night party at Distraction Brewing in Roslindale Village, Hicks said she had won by around 2,200 margin, which she expected to be pushed up to 2,500 after all votes were tallied. Hicks spoke with Jamaica Plain News about how she was feeling after learning she won, and what she thought right after hearing she had won.

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Elections

Election Day: What You Need to Know

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Boston City Council races, ballot questions, and of course the mayoral race -- there's a lot at stake on Tuesday. Ballot Questions

Historically, the mayor of Boston has a lot of power of the budget process. Ballot Question 1 is looking to change the city's charter to give more control to the Boston City Council. Every single Boston City Councilor has said they will vote Yes, including the two mayoral candidates. Question 1 is binding and reads: Shall this city approve the charter amendment proposed by the city council summarized below?

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Elections

Q&A: Wu Talks Free Public Transportation, Police Reform, Gentrification, and More

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At-Large City Councilor and mayoral candidate Michelle Wu fielded questions about making public transportation free, structural changes to the Boston Police Department, an elected school committee, and more. Q: Many of your big proposals require State House and Governor approval like a Free T and rent stabilization. What is your specific plan to get these passed on Beacon Hill? Wu: Boston needs bold leadership and a broad coalition to fight for what we need. I’m proud to have the support of many state and federal leaders and know that we will have to work together at all levels of government to deliver change.

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Elections

Q&A: Kendra Hicks Talks Environmental Justice, Housing, Police, and More

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Boston City Council District 6 candidate Kendra Hicks fielded questions from Jamaica Plain News about housing, Boston Public Schools, police, and more. The following interview was conducted electronically. 
Q: You shot out of the gate after announcing your candidacy like very few candidates in recent years. How long have you been preparing to run for District 6? Hicks: I have been a community organizer since I was 15 and, for the past six years, have committed myself to supporting nonprofit organizations in shifting their structures to be more equitable. I had not planned on running for the city council, but the social uprisings in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, including here in D6, made it clear that our residents demanded strong leadership.

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Elections

Q&A: Essaibi George Talks Police, Development, Gentrification, and More

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At-Large City Councilor and mayoral candidate Annissa Essaibi George fielded questions about police body cameras, gentrification, development and more. The following interview was conducted through email. Q: What is your specific plan to address the rising cost of living in Boston? Essaibi George: Boston’s residents are struggling to pay rent, our families can’t find or afford stable housing, and too many individuals are experiencing chronic homelessness. COVID-19 has only emphasized these realities, and those effects will last long after the pandemic.

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