Frank Baker is eying a potential return to the Boston Metropolis Council, simply two years after he determined in opposition to pursuing a reelection bid for the Dorchester-centric district seat he held for greater than a decade.
Baker, a previous conservative voice on a left-leaning Metropolis Council, confirmed that he’s contemplating a run for the Council, however wouldn’t say which means he was leaning.
“I’ll neither confirm nor deny, but I’ll tell you I’m looking at it,” Baker instructed the Herald Tuesday.
Baker, a Democrat and lifelong Dorchester resident, wouldn’t say whether or not he could be searching for the District 3 seat he held for 12 years or one of many 4 at-large seats, if he opted to pursue a return to the Council.
“If I pull papers, I’ll answer all these questions,” Baker stated.
A supply instructed the Herald he could be leaning towards a run for one of many at-large seats, however hadn’t dominated out a District 3 bid.
Baker endorsed District 3 Councilor John FitzGerald, a reasonable Democrat who changed him on the Council in January 2024, within the fall 2023 election.
“John cares about this city and our community,” Baker stated in his endorsement, which is posted on FitzGerald’s marketing campaign web site. “He has spent his life working in public service, and I believe he is the right person to be our next city councilor.”
FitzGerald, who’s searching for reelection, stated he hasn’t spoken with Baker about his potential bid for Council.
“He hasn’t reached out to me about anything like that,” FitzGerald instructed the Herald.
FitzGerald didn’t remark, when requested what he considered probably dealing with a problem from Baker, in his bid for a second time period.
Baker represented District 3, which incorporates most of Dorchester, and a portion of South Boston and the South Finish, for six phrases. He was first elected in 2011. In an April 2023 assertion, he stated representing the district had “been one of the greatest honors of my life,” and the choice to step down “did not come lightly.”
On the time, Baker stated he needed to spend extra time with household and talked about that he didn’t have the bandwidth to commit “round-the-clock dedication,” to serving as a metropolis councilor, which he stated is what he sees the job as requiring.
Although Baker didn’t elaborate on these causes, he was concerned in contentious exchanges together with his fellow councilors over his final yr on the physique, and was important of town’s mayor, Michelle Wu, who’s up for reelection this yr.
Baker opposed adjustments made to District 3 within the preliminary redistricting map authorized by the Metropolis Council in fall 2022, and was one in all two councilors who helped to fund a subsequent lawsuit filed in opposition to town by neighborhood members.
A federal choose sided with the neighborhood members who filed go well with, ruling that the Council had doubtless violated the Structure when factoring race into the institution of town’s districting map. The map was thrown out by the courts, and the Council needed to redraw district strains, and approve a brand new map consequently.
It seems Baker’s circumstances could have modified, given that he’s weighing a return to the Council.
If he have been to run for at-large, he would doubtless be dealing with all 4 incumbents, who’ve filed paperwork with town’s Elections Division.
Larry DiCara, a former metropolis council president and longtime observer of Boston politics, stated in a current interview that he expects two of the at-large incumbents, Council President Ruthzee Louijeune and Erin Murphy, “are in great shape.”
“The other two will have to hustle,” DiCara stated, referring to Henry Santana and Julia Mejia.
Louijeune and Murphy have been neck and neck on the prime of the ticket within the November 2023 Council election.
Murphy, who sat alongside Baker on the Council and considers him a good friend, was typically supportive of his potential run, regardless of dealing with a state of affairs the place they might be drawing from the identical pool of reasonable to conservative voters, if he have been to pursue an at-large bid.
“Frank is a seasoned politician,” Murphy instructed the Herald Tuesday. “He was a metropolis councilor for 12 years, so if anybody is aware of the quantity of labor and energy that you must put in to run a marketing campaign, it might be him.
“If he’s seriously considering it, all the power to him. He’s well aware of what he’s up against and he must see a path,” she added. “He must see that there’s something missing on the Council right now, and he has something to offer.”
When saying his choice to step down in April 2023, Baker stated his Council tenure resulted in “an even more thriving and vibrant community” for his district.
For instance, he stated on the time, there had been “substantial advancements in the expansion of the housing market, along with growth and development of our business communities.”
If he opts to leap into the race, Baker would have till subsequent Tuesday to file his assertion of candidacy with town’s Elections Division and Could 20 to collect signatures and return the related nomination kinds.
