Wu Will Be On Boston's Ballot This November

Also: Yes, Boston is still counting votes; more unofficial results reported in other Mass. cities ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Donate [WBUR]]( [View in Browser](  [WBUR]( September 15, 2021 Good Morning Boston, ⛅ Patchy fog this morning. Then, partly sunny, with a high near 86. So who won Tuesday's preliminary election to be the next mayor of Boston? It was a late night, and you probably didn't know before going to bed (especially if you wake up at 5:30 a.m. to write a daily morning newsletter). But the race was finally called for one of two finalists, [Michelle Wu]( early this morning. The second candidate is still undeclared, but Annissa Essaibi George gave what very much sounded like a victory speech late last night – at the same time stressing all the votes need to be counted. WBUR's Roberto Scalese, a friend-of-the-newsletter and digital editor extraordinaire, was working last night and shared some highlights: - Acting Mayor Kim Janey and City Councilor Andrea Campbell both conceded the election hours after the polls closed and with few vote tallies released by the city. - Wu had been reliably ahead in all of the polling heading into the race, but the real jump ball remains between Essaibi George, Janey and Campbell for the second slot available for the November election. - The results so far appear to [bring an end to Janey's hopes]( of extending her time at the city's helm. She had a de facto incumbency, becoming acting mayor when Marty Walsh resigned to become U.S. Labor Secretary. Janey hoped to parlay that advantage the way Tom Menino did when he served as acting mayor following Ray Flynn. But by the time the Senate confirmed Walsh, all of Janey's main opponents in the race had long been out on the campaign trail. - Boston saw so little of the vote tallied on election night, which was not what we expected. Why? The election department issued a statement late Tuesday, explaining that it received 7,000 ballots in the mail just that day, and had to check and verify that the people who voted by mail did not also vote in-person. - One last thing: There were other important elections in Massachusetts last night. Here's a rundown of the [big mayoral races outside of Boston]( that we were watching. A big thanks to Berto for the recap! Some final thoughts on the preliminary election in Boston. - We'd be remiss not to reiterate that history was made last night. This will be the first time in 20 years that Boston does not elect a white man to be mayor, instead picking a woman of color. That's a pretty big deal when it comes to diversity and representation. However, it's important to note all three Black candidates – Janey, Campbell and John Barros – appeared to fall short. - If Essaibi George does win the second candidate spot, expect to see some stark differences between she and Wu when it comes to issues like policing, rent control and transportation. Here's what WBUR's Anthony Brooks had to say on Morning Edition: "Wu is the darling of progressives. She was endorsed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren. She's running on a progressive platform that includes a city-wide Green New Deal, free public transportation, rent control and universal pre-K and child care. Last night, Essaibi George made clear that she's a lot more moderate – and was already challenging Wu." - Brooks added that he's not surprised that, as of now, one of the two at-large city councilors won because Wu already had citywide support that the other candidates didn't. For the past two elections, she's been the biggest vote-getter on the Boston City Council. P.S.– Thanks for sharing your favorite T-shirts and why they're special to you. [See what some of your fellow newsletter readers said here.]( — Meagan McGinnes and Roberto Scalese [@meaganmcginnes]( [@BertoScalese]( newsletters@wbur.org The Rundown [1.](url)[Wu Declared Winner, Essaibi George Leading For 2nd Spot Not Yet Called In Boston's Historic Mayor's Race]( The race was called for Wu early this morning. Acting Mayor Kim Janey and City Councilor Andrea Campbell both conceded the election hours after the polls closed and with few vote tallies released by the city. [Read more.]( - Live Results: [Boston's Preliminary Municipal Election]( - More: [Unofficial Results Reported In Other Mass. Cities](   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    2. [New England Forests Can Help Slow Climate Change. A New Report Shows Exactly How Much]( Through deforestation, Massachusetts adds the equivalent of about about 1.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. [Read more.]( 3. Justice Department Wants A Federal Judge To Block Texas' New Abortion Ban]( This step, a major move by the Biden administration against the highly controversial law, follows a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department last week. The Biden administration asked the court late Tuesday to implement the preliminary injunction while the lawsuit plays out in federal court. [Read more.]( - Commentary: [The Lawlessness Of The Supreme Court]( 4. [Gov. Newsom Keeps His Seat After A Majority Of California Voters Reject The Recall]( The governor's victory serves to vindicate his leadership of the state through COVID-19, but he won't be off the campaign trail for long. He'll have to run for reelection next year if he wants to keep his seat after his term ends in 2023. [Read more.]( 5. [Industry Leader Sounds Alarm On 'Mental Health Crisis' In Mass., Pitches Legislation To Increase Access]( The bills would require MassHealth, the state's massive health insurance program, to ensure all of its contracted third-party firms and managed care organizations "provide comparable access to behavioral health services and medications." [Read more.]( Support the news Anything Else? - What is budget reconciliation? It's an important process needed if the Democrats want to pass their proposed $3.5 trillion economic plan, so [here's an explainer on what it is and how it works.]( - Comedian Norm Macdonald, a beloved Saturday Night Live cast member in the '90s, [died]( yesterday at the age of 61. He had been fighting cancer for nine years. - The U.S. Soccer Federation said it will now [offer the same contracts]( for its men's and women's teams. But there are still details to work out around the FIFA World Cup prize money. 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