Jamaica Plain News (https://www.jamaicaplainnews.com/category/politics)
West Roxbury resident William King is one of the three candidates for the District 6 Boston City Council seat. The Preliminary Municipal Election is on Tuesday, September 12, and two candidates will advance to the general election on November 7. Any registered Boston voter can vote at any early voting location. You don’t need an excuse or reason to vote early. Not sure if you’re registered?
All three candidates for the Boston City Council District 6 race are expected to attend candidates forum on August 8. The three candidates include the current District 6 City Councilor Kendra Lara, who is facing multiple charges due to speeding and crashing her car without a license in an unregistered car. The other two candidates are William King, who ran for at-large city council once before, and Ben Weber. JP Progressives is hosting the online forum that will be moderated by former editor of the Baystate Banner Yawu Miller, and Saraya Wintersmith from GBH News. Cosponsors of the forum include Right to the City Vote and MassVOTE.
District 6 City Councilor Kendra Lara pled not guilty on Wednesday to numerous charges due to her crashing an unregistered and uninsured car while driving without a driver's license. Lara was arraigned at the West Roxbury Municipal Court for charges related to a June 30 accident in which a Boston Police auto investigator determined she was allegedly going at least 53 mph in a 25 mph zone. Among the charges against the first-term city councilor who represents Jamaica Plain, included operating a motor vehicle after suspension, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and assault and battery on a child with injury. She was also cited for a booster seat violation, due to her 7-year old not being in a booster seat in the back seat despite legally being required for him to be in booster seat due to his height, said Boston Police. The accident left her son bloodied with a cut around his eye, and he needed stitches at Boston Children's Hospital.
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision declaring that race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and UNC were unlawful caused many Massachusetts leaders to reject the court's ruling. The court voted along partisan lines, 6-3, with the three liberal judges dissenting. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu took aim at the court's overturning decades of settled law. https://twitter.com/MayorWu/status/1674497638740160515
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-7th) said the decision is the "latest white supremacist assault on equity and access in education." "For decades, affirmative action has been a critical tool for confronting the deep and lasting legacy of anti-Black racism and discrimination that’s still all too present in our higher education system," said Pressley.
There will be a virtual At-Large Boston City Council Forum co-hosted by JP Progressives on Tuesday night. As of Sunday afternoon four candidates had committed to the forum. Two sitting city city councilors had confirmed they were attending: Ruthzee Louijeune and Julia Mejia. Other confirmed candidates include Clifton Braithwaite and Henry Santana. Cosponsors of the event include NAACP Boston Branch, Mijente Boston Asamblea, MassVOTE, Chinese Progressive Political Action, Right to the City Vote, Mass Voter Table, and Mass HUD Tenants.
The three candidates for the special election to fill the 10th Suffolk District representative seat are gathering endorsements, and one candidate has drawn the ire from local progressive groups. First former state rep Liz Malia endorsed Bill MacGregor. Then current 15th Suffolk District state rep Sam Montaño endorsed Rob Orthman. And Celia Segel picked up the endorsement of state Sen. Cynthia Creem (D-1st Middlesex and Norfolk). Also, on Thursday the steering committee of the JP Progressives group, a local chapter of Massachusetts Progressives, recommended Orthman over Segel for the May 2 special election.
Four Democratic candidates have filed paperwork to run for the 10th Suffolk County District rep seat after Rep. Ed Coppinger announced he'd be leaving the job. After redistricting, a small part of Jamaica Plain became part of the 10th Suffolk District. The majority of the 10th Suffolk District is in West Roxbury, Roslindale, and a little in Brookline. The four candidates are Roslindale resident Robert Orthman, Jamaica Plain's Garrett Casey, and West Roxbury residents William MacGregor, and David Giordano. All four are Democrats, so they would face off in a May 2 Democratic primary.
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley recently visited Community Servings to celebrate the Jamaica Plain nonprofit's 11th million meal served. “This is a unique model that meets the needs of individuals who are vulnerable and isolated, those that are terminally or chronically ill, that shows that food is also medicine. The fact that they have 100 volunteers a day helping at Community Servings is really a testament to just how many people care,” said Pressley after visiting on Sept. 8. “Community Servings is celebrating our 11 millionth meal, which we prepared from scratch in our kitchens in Jamaica Plain.
Democrats will convene virtually on March 12 to elect 22 delegates and 5 alternates to represent Boston Ward 11 Democrats at the 2022 State Democratic Convention. This meeting will be at 10 am. Attendees may participate remotely by registering at the Boston Ward 11 Facebook Caucus post or requesting link from either co-chairs, Anne Rousseau at revarousseau@comcast.net or Marie Turley at mimiturley@hotmail.com. Registered and pre-registered Democrats in Boston’s Ward 11 who are 16 years old by February 4, 2022 may vote and be elected as delegate or alternates during the caucus. Youth (age 16 to 35), people with disabilities, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community not elected as delegates or alternates are encouraged to apply to be add-on delegates at the caucus or by visiting massdems.org/caucus.
The three candidates for the Boston City Council District 6 seat will be participating in an online candidates forum hosted by Ward 11 and 19 Democratic Committees on Aug. 31. Winnie Eke, Kendra Hicks, and Mary Tamer are vying for the District 6 seat which is being vacated by Matt O'Malley, who chose not to run after 10 years in office. Click here for Part I and Part II of Jamaica Plain News' Q&A's with the three candidates. Tuesday night's forum starts at 7 pm and will focus on questions that are of particular concerns to District 6.