Government

Residents Invited to Testify at Boston City Council District 6 Redistricting Hearing on March 31

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The public is invited to offer testimony during a Boston City Council Redistricting Committee hearing focused on District 6 on March 31. District 5 City Councilor (and Suffolk County District Attorney candidate) Ricardo Arroyo will lead the hearing as chair of the committee. The majority of Jamaica Plain consists of District 6, but there is a little bit of Districts 4 and 7 in Jamaica Plain, too. Public testimony regarding redistricting from residents of Districts 4, 5 and 6 will occur at City Hall on March 31 at 6:30 pm. Read the public notice here.

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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: Mary Tamer Talks Police Budget, Charter Schools, Development, and More

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Boston City Council District 6 candidate Mary Tamer fielded questions from Jamaica Plain News about development, whether she supports having an elected school committee, police, and more. The following interview was conducted electronically. 
Q: You chose to run for the Boston City Council District 6 seat after the current councilor announced he would not seek reelection. Why did you decide to run? Tamer: With the number of challenges facing Boston right now, it was the right time for me to serve by bringing my advocacy, public service, and leadership experience to help address those challenges. I’ve spent my professional life advocating for families, children, and those whose voices are often not heard.

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Elections

Ransom Suspends Campaign for District 6 City Council Seat

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Kelly Ransom has removed herself as a candidate for the District 6 Boston City Council. Citing an immediate family member's emergency medical situation, Ransom decided not to run for the seat being vacated by Matt O'Malley. "While withdrawing from this race is one of the most painful decisions I have ever made for myself, the thought of losing fleeting time with a family member is a pain that I cannot carry inside me for the rest of my time on this earth," she wrote in released statement. That leaves only two candidates in the field, Kendra Hicks and Mary Tamer.

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Elections

District 6 City Council Candidates Forum on April 28

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There will be a candidates forum for the Boston City Council District 6 race on April 28. The three declared candidates are all expected to participate: Kendra Hicks, Kelly Ransom, and Mary Tamer. The District 6 seat is open because current councilor Matt O'Malley chose not to run again. JP Progressives, Mijente, and NAACP Boston Branch are hosting a candidate forum for the District 6 City Council race. The forum will be on Wednesday, April 28 at 7 pm.

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Elections

Lifelong Bostonian Kelly Ransom Announces District 6 City Council Candidacy

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There are now three candidates for the Boston City Council District 6 after lifelong resident Kelly Ransom announced her candidacy. Ransom currently works at Madison Park Development Corporation as the director of communications & public affairs. She has worked in the restaurant industry, was a former City Council staffer, and is a supporter of labor unions. She announced her candidacy outside of the shuttered Bella Luna restaurant on Tuesday. Ransom is queer, an advocate and ally for marginalized communities, and previously personally experienced being homeless.

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Elections

District 6 Boston City Council Candidates Virtual Town Hall on Monday

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The two declared candidates for the District 6 Boston City Council seat will participate in a virtual town hall on Monday night. Kendra Hicks and Mary Tamer will be answering questions on the online virtual event being hosted by the Greater Boston Young Democrats and Young Democrats of Massachusetts on Monday, Feb. 22 at 7 pm. Current District 6 City Councilor Matt O'Malley has stated he is not seeking reelection. Questions can be submitted ahead of time by using this form.

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Elections

Former School Committee Member Mary Tamer Running for District 6 City Council Seat

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Former Boston School Committee member and past president of Boston's League of Women Voters Mary Tamer has thrown her hat into the ring for the District 6 Boston City Council seat. Tamer is a West Roxbury resident, and announced her candidacy on Facebook. "I am running for City Council because residents of Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, Roslindale, and Mission Hill deserve strong leadership as we face a second COVID-19 spike and then proactively plan for an equitable recovery. Bostonians have been so vigilant throughout, but it is critical that our elected leaders are giving our neighbors the support that they deserve," wrote Tamer. Tamer was on the Boston School Committee from January 2010 through December 2013.

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