2025 Boston Mayoral Race

[themissinglink]

Fuck Josh Kraft.

Kraft would consider removing bike lanes on Centre Street in West Roxbury

At a press conference outside where the Walgreens used to be on Centre Street in West Roxbury, Josh Kraft this morning denounced what he said was the Wu administration's failed and dangerous bike lanes, speed bumps and removal of parking spaces across the city. Read more.

www.universalhub.com

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

It's almost July, and this is still a campaign almost entirely about bike lanes and White Stadium. Does he not even realize he's got a 30-point polling deficit to make up with some issues/any issues that actually resonate with the public, or does he just think cashing SuperPAC donations is going to earn it all for him automatically?

 

[RandomWalk]

Daddy is going to offer free season tickets for the Patriots for votes…

Wait. Forget that.

 

[themissinglink]

Mayor Wu has a powerful ally in the state House’s likely next leader. Their partnership could reshape Boston politics. - The Boston Globe

Michelle Wu and Aaron Michlewitz make up something of an odd couple who share a genuine friendship that is not rooted in political expediency.

www.bostonglobe.com

Wu, 40, calls 47-year-old Michlewitz her “big brother in the business,” though he jokes that it’s hard to see the powerful mayor of Boston as a “little sister.” For more than a decade, they have been close friends and strong political allies, and when she speaks, he watches with the pride attendant to the familial role.
Michlewitz is poised, if the parlor game is to be believed, to ascend to the House’s most influential post when Speaker Ron Mariano ultimately retires. That potential promotion — the first time in nearly a generation that Boston would have one of its own in that role — could make a friendship that started 15 years ago in Boston’s South End into the most important political partnership in New England. And it could mark a momentous shift for a city unusually beholden to the whims of Beacon Hill.

 

[themissinglink]

Josh Kraft helped by dad, rich pals in bid to oust Boston mayor

Josh Kraft is a political novice seeking to become the first person in 76 years to unseat an incumbent mayor in Boston - and a popular one at that. Yet the money is flowing in.

www.spokesman.com

Kraft, 58, has already raised more money in an election year than any other mayoral campaign in Boston history - and that’s with the Nov. 4 contest against Mayor Michelle Wu months away. The super political action committee backing his candidacy is on track to smash city records for outside spending with more than $2.5 million going to fund advertisements, billboards and text messages, according to campaign finance records.

It helps that his father is Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots football team, who has a net worth of $8.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Donations backing Kraft’s mayoral run have poured in from wealthy individuals who run in the same elite circle - including those with few ties to Boston. Fanatics Inc. founder Michael Rubin, hedge fund titan John Paulson and Cleveland Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam have made six- or seven-figure contributions.

“That’s what fathers do. They support their kids, as kids and adults,” Josh Kraft said of his father’s effort to drum up donations from rich and famous friends. He compared it to helping one of his two adult daughters, a singer, navigate her own career. “When I know there are places where she might be able to get a gig, and I know the people there, I say, ‘Hey, would you ever…?’” he said.

 

[themissinglink]

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu stands by investigation that found Segun Idowu, accused of misconduct, did not violate city policies - The Boston Globe

“We do not tolerate harassment of any kind in the city of Boston, so it’s important to, once these allegations are raised through the media, to make sure that they were thoroughly investigated,” Wu said.

www.bostonglobe.com

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on Thursday stood by the findings of a recently-concluded investigation into misconduct allegations against one of her top cabinet officials that found that the official, Segun Idowu, did not violate any city policies.
[...]
Wu emphasized that the review found that Idowu, the city’s chief of economic opportunity and inclusion, did not violate any workplace policies with his conduct. She appeared to imply the matter is resolved on the city’s end.
“I’m glad that this matter is now done and concluded,” she said.

 

[themissinglink]

Josh Kraft unveils reentry after prison plan in bid for Boston mayor - The Boston Globe

Prison reentry is not a new issue for Kraft, who helped fund “Operation Exit,” a city program from former mayor Martin J. Walsh.

www.bostonglobe.com

Josh Kraft on Thursday unveiled a plan to support individuals returning from prison, a new plank in his policy platform as he seeks to unseat incumbent Mayor Michelle Wu in this fall’s election.
Kraft made the announcement at a press conference in South Boston, where he was surrounded by about 10 supporters, some of whom were formerly incarcerated and said Kraft has been an immense source of support. His proposal includes a 90-day countdown reentry plan to help individuals find housing, job opportunities, and mental health support before they leave prison.
[...]
Kraft said he would reinstitute the “Operation Exit” program, calling it a “mistake” that it was discontinued. He would also establish a “Boston Reentry Network” of academic institutions, government officials, and nonprofits to address challenges faced by returning citizens. He said he would lean on partnerships with local organizations such as Justice 4 Housing, Petey Greene, and the Tufts University Prison Initiative, as well as Roxbury and Bunker Hill Community Colleges, to provide new opportunities for people who have finished stints in prison.

 

[HenryAlan]

Josh Kraft helped by dad, rich pals in bid to oust Boston mayor

Josh Kraft is a political novice seeking to become the first person in 76 years to unseat an incumbent mayor in Boston - and a popular one at that. Yet the money is flowing in.

www.spokesman.com

This guy's a real piece of work:

“When I know there are places where she might be able to get a gig, and I know the people there, I say, ‘Hey, would you ever…?’” he said.

He has no clue that hardly anybody has a parent who can simply reach out and get their kid a job in the field that happens to interest them the most like that.

 

[kmp1284]

This guy's a real piece of work:


He has no clue that hardly anybody has a parent who can simply reach out and get their kid a job in the field that happens to interest them the most like that.

Or know that even the parents who do have those connections and make such efforts for their kids don’t go around talking about it outside of a small and similarly-situated social circle.

 

[themissinglink]

Press Release: Mayor Michelle Wu gains key endorsement from Boston Teachers Union - Boston Teachers Union

BOSTON – Today, the Boston Teachers Union (BTU), representing more [...]

btu.org

Today, the Boston Teachers Union (BTU), representing more than 10,000 active and retired educators from the Boston Public Schools, announced it has endorsed Mayor Michelle Wu for re-election. The union cited Mayor Wu’s deep commitment to strengthening public education and workers’ rights, advocating for students and families, and investing in the long-term success of Boston’s neighborhoods.

 

[kmp1284]

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu holds commanding 30-point lead over Josh Kraft, Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll shows - The Boston Globe

The poll of 500 Boston voters likely to participate in the Sept. 9 preliminary election showed a wide gulf between Wu and Kraft, who drew 30 percent support to her 60 percent.

www.bostonglobe.com

I wonder how much better O’Brien would be doing if he had been the anointed opposition. I’m sure Wu would still be leading by a good margin but I doubt it would be 30%. I suspect a lot of people might want another candidate or at least a competitive race but don’t want a nerdier version of Eric at the controls.

 

[Justbuildit]

It's wild to me so much money went to someone who could so easily be painted as "unserious rich kid looking for a new hobby as he enters retirement age". There is absolutely a lane to the right/center of Wu but her opponents deserve all the mockery they'll get if Kraft gets blown out anything close to 60-30. He'd clearly be more competitive statewide but raising money from Republicans to run as a Democrat in Boston was always an absolutely insane strategy.

 

[BronsonShore]

All things considered, I think Kraft is a pretty good dude. And he's the type of person who really could have a major positive impact on the city of Boston over the course of his life. But I think it's genuinely important that he get trounced and embarrassed in this election.

Other than being born rich and connected, he has done absolutely nothing in his life that merits being elected to lead one of the world's major cities. And the idea that megarich people should automatically be given prominent voices in municipal politics is vile.

 

[Justbuildit]

Yes I agree, I don't think he's a bad person at all and he's done a ton as a volunteer for several communities in Boston. I have my Robert Kraft gripes too but I think his downside has been overplayed to be honest.

It's just that the whole thing feels so unserious, like voters would buy in to an obviously transparent version of machine politics where resident rich guy bullies influential people to anoint his child Mayor. I'm a persuadable voter and would be in support of a marginally more pro-development candidate as Mayor but I really do hope Wu wins by a historic margin to put the Kraft line of thinking to bed.

 

[SteelyTom]

To judge by this week's Suffolk poll showing him far behind, Kraft is discovering a campaign of Nimby-ism will get you a solid thirty per cent of the vote.

 

[Equilibria]

All things considered, I think Kraft is a pretty good dude. And he's the type of person who really could have a major positive impact on the city of Boston over the course of his life. But I think it's genuinely important that he get trounced and embarrassed in this election.

Other than being born rich and connected, he has done absolutely nothing in his life that merits being elected to lead one of the world's major cities. And the idea that megarich people should automatically be given prominent voices in municipal politics is vile.

Well, that and he lives in Brookline...

To judge by this week's Suffolk poll showing him far behind, Kraft is discovering a campaign of Nimby-ism will get you a solid thirty per cent of the vote.

It turns out being seen as the MAGA candidate in a city where only 5% of voters are registered Republicans is not great for your chances.

 

[themissinglink]

Mayoral candidate Josh Kraft will not release tax return, says he earned $6.3 million in 2024 - The Boston Globe

Kraft has come under fire from opponent Mayor Michelle Wu for a lack of transparency over his personal financial situation and any potential conflicts of interest it could present as he seeks the mayoralty.

www.bostonglobe.com

Though Kraft told the Globe earlier this year he would release his tax returns, a spokesperson said on Friday the campaign will not. In lieu of the documents themselves, the campaign on Friday provided a two-page summary from the firm Ernst & Young LLP, which is preparing Kraft’s taxes, according to the unsigned document.
[...]
Kraft has come under fire from Mayor Michelle Wu and other critics for a lack of transparency about his personal financial situation and any potential conflicts of interest it could present as he seeks the mayoralty. The son of billionaire Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Josh Kraft has already put $2 million of his personal wealth into his campaign, and money has become a major theme in the increasingly nasty election. Kraft has said that if elected, he would recuse himself from any conflicts of interest involving his family business.

The brief summary provided to the media on Friday does not specify the source of Kraft’s income over the two-year period, but a spokesperson said it includes salary, interest, dividends, and capital gains. The campaign said it will not disclose specifics about Kraft’s investments. Some of Kraft’s income is derived through a blind trust that he has no control over, a spokesperson said.

 

[themissinglink]

Josh Kraft's campaign has been a disaster.

Prominent national Democrats ask Josh Kraft to stop using names, likenesses in unauthorized fund-raising push - The Boston Globe

Political and campaign finance experts called the Kraft campaign’s recent fund-raising blitz unorthodox, or even potentially misleading for donors.

www.bostonglobe.com

On first blush, the fundraising solicitation sure looked like it was coming from US Senator Adam Schiff, the California Democrat well known for tangling with Donald Trump.
“Hi — this is Adam Schiff,” the email read, according to a screenshot shared with the Globe. “Josh Kraft said I could reach out with this urgent message.”
But the email came from “info@joshforboston.com‚” and it was paid for by the campaign of Josh Kraft, who is running for mayor of Boston, several thousand miles east of Schiff’s district.
[...]
The Kraft fundraising email sporting Schiff’s name and likeness is one of at least five the campaign has sent in recent weeks that feature prominent national Democrats who have not publicly weighed in on the Boston mayor’s race. At least two of those politicians have now asked the Kraft campaign to stop using their names and likenesses in the email fundraising solicitations.

 

[SteelyTom]

Josh Kraft's campaign has been a disaster.

Prominent national Democrats ask Josh Kraft to stop using names, likenesses in unauthorized fund-raising push - The Boston Globe

Political and campaign finance experts called the Kraft campaign’s recent fund-raising blitz unorthodox, or even potentially misleading for donors.

www.bostonglobe.com

Can Josh suspend his campaign, then donate his war chest to a guy who can play right tackle?

 

[393b40]

To judge by this week's Suffolk poll showing him far behind, Kraft is discovering a campaign of Nimby-ism will get you a solid thirty per cent of the vote.

Which is kind of why Kraft needs to be considered dangerous. The grievance vote is strong these days. If his highly motivated base is what shows up in a usually sleepy Boston mayoral election Wu is going to have problems.