Boston mayoral candidate Josh Kraft criticized a Metropolis Council push to bypass a particular election for Tania Fernandes Anderson’s seat upon her resignation, however stated it falls on the mayor to deal with the “flagrant double standard” in election practices.
Metropolis Council President Ruthzee Louijeune and Councilor Liz Breadon filed a house rule petition Monday that might waive a particular election, within the occasion that Fernandes Anderson, who accepted a plea deal in a federal corruption case, resigns greater than 180 days earlier than the overall election, as required by the town constitution.
Kraft, in a press release launched by his marketing campaign Tuesday, raised questions on why the Council was taking a distinct method to filling Fernandes Anderson’s Roxbury-centric District 7 seat than it did two years in the past, when a councilor’s resignation for a Beacon Hill-centric District 8 seat triggered a particular election.
“District 7 deserves to exercise their right to elect their next representative in the City Council, and leaving the seat vacant is just another example of how this community — the largest Black community in Boston — continues to face underrepresentation and economic challenges,” Kraft stated.
“Mayor Wu has been silent on this, but needs to answer some questions about a flagrant double standard, which is defined as a rule of principle which is unfairly applied in different ways to different people or groups,” he stated. “So what’s good for Beacon Hill isn’t good for Fort Hill?”
The 2 councilors’ push to waive a particular election differs from the method the Council took across the similar time two years in the past, when Kenzie Bok resigned in April 2023 to steer the Boston Housing Authority.
Bok, who represented District 8, was appointed to the function by Mayor Michelle Wu. Councilor Sharon Durkan, who labored for Wu as a political fundraiser and acquired her endorsement within the race, was tapped to serve the rest of Bok’s time period after successful a particular election three months later, in July 2023.
Mayor Wu has declined to take a place on the disparate approaches. A Wu marketing campaign spokesperson on Tuesday referred the Herald to a previous assertion launched by the mayor’s workplace.
“The Elections Department stands ready to administer a special election under the city charter as written, but we will review any legislation passed by the Council,” the assertion stated. “Mayor Wu and her administration are focused on ensuring direct access to resources and services for the residents of District 7, and the mayor has directed additional staff to support the neighborhood services liaisons covering District 7 so that there will be clear coordination and additional capacity.”
Breadon and Louijeune individually talked about that they’ve heard from neighborhood members that they need extra time to vet the candidates, and that circumstances are completely different this yr, with a metropolis Elections Division underneath receivership and Secretary of State William Galvin opposing a particular election.
Councilors Erin Murphy, who’s pushing for the town to promptly maintain a particular election, and Ed Flynn have raised early opposition to their colleagues’ residence rule petition, saying that it could disenfranchise voters within the Roxbury-based district.
