Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s path to a second time period was all however cleared with the conclusion of a three-day mayoral preliminary election recount, which resulted in no materials modifications and formally stored any challengers off the poll.
The recount, requested by third-place finisher and neighborhood activist Domingos DaRosa, concluded Monday afternoon at Metropolis Corridor. Whereas DaRosa picked up 19 votes, bringing his complete 2,428 votes, he fell far wanting the three,000-vote threshold he wanted to get on the November basic election poll.
Josh Kraft, the runner-up on this month’s preliminary election, dropped out of the race after his 49-point defeat to Wu. Per state regulation, DaRosa, because the third-place finisher, may have changed him on the poll had he acquired plenty of votes that was equal to the three,000 signatures required to qualify as a mayoral candidate.
Earlier than the outcomes had been introduced, DaRosa mentioned he didn’t count on the recount to lead to modifications that may get him on the poll. Relatively, he mentioned calling for a recount was about highlighting how the chances had been stacked in opposition to him and the opposite candidate, Robert Cappucci, in a race that was broadly seen as being between Wu and Kraft, a son of the billionaire New England Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft.
“What we’re expecting is to have folks fully take a look at how marginalized Robert Cappucci and myself was throughout this whole process — how a lot of the information put out by the mainstream media favored the two candidates,” DaRosa informed the Herald. “(It was) additionally placing the highlight on how outdated a few of the languages are on the market.
“I should automatically be brought into the second position, regardless of how many votes were cast on the 9th (of September),” DaRosa mentioned. “A lot of folks are upset. We’re going to see a lot of communities really get marginalized, and there’s going to be even more disconnect, and it’s going to be real hard to get people engaged in the next election because of what transpired in this election.”
DaRosa mentioned he expects voter turnout to take a nosedive in November as a result of Wu would be the solely identify on the mayoral poll, leaving Metropolis Council seats as the one remaining contested races within the basic election. Folks had been anticipating two mayoral candidates on the poll, he mentioned, and had been left with out a “real election.”
“To have the Kraft campaign just withdraw hours after the preliminary, what was the real intention?” DaRosa mentioned. “Was it really for empowering Bostonians, or was it for personal gain? There’s mixed feelings about that.”
DaRosa mentioned he plans to run for mayor once more in 2029.
The ultimate outcomes, accepted by the Boston Election Fee on Monday, additionally led to Wu, Kraft and Cappucci choosing up votes within the partial recount, which encompassed 5 of the town’s 22 wards.
Wu picked up 461 votes to deliver her last complete to 66,859. Kraft’s vote rely elevated by 157, to 21,481, and Cappucci’s last tally was 2,091, reflecting a further 17 votes.
The Wu marketing campaign thanked the Elections Division for administering and certifying the outcomes of the preliminary election, whereas touting the mayor’s “overwhelming” win.
“I’m grateful to each one of the nearly 94,000 Boston voters who showed up for our democracy, and I’m humbled by the overwhelming support across every neighborhood and every ward to keep going in our work to make Boston a home for everyone,” the Wu marketing campaign mentioned in a press release. “Over the next six weeks, our team will continue to organize alongside the City Council candidates to get out the vote for the Nov. 4 final election.”
