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Mayors

Boston Mayoral Primary: Incumbent Michelle Wu Faces Strong Challenge from Josh Kraft

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Boston voters will determine the mayoral candidates for the general election on Tuesday, with incumbent Michelle Wu facing a significant challenge from Josh Kraft, the son of billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Wu seeks to retain her position as the first female mayor of Boston, while Kraft is well-funded, having loaned his campaign over $5 million. Despite Kraft's financial advantage, Wu entered the final days of the campaign with more cash in hand, $2.4 million to Kraft's $1.3 million. The primary election is a nonpartisan contest, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the November general election.

Key Takeaways:

  • Michelle Wu, the incumbent mayor, is facing a challenge from Josh Kraft, the son of billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, in the Boston mayoral primary.
  • As of the end of August, Kraft had outspent Wu by $4.4 million, but Wu entered the final days of the campaign with more cash in hand, $2.4 million to Kraft's $1.3 million.
  • The primary election is officially nonpartisan, with all candidates running on the same ballot and the top two vote-getters advancing to the November general election.
  • Wu has been endorsed by 33% of voters in her primary election, while Kraft has not released his poll numbers.
  • The primary election is being closely watched, as a high-profile victory for Kraft could potentially signal a shift in the city's politics.
  • Boston has a significant number of registered voters, with 422,000 registered as of February 1, with 39% identifying as Democrats and 56% not enrolled in any party.
  • Turnout in the 2021 mayoral primary was low, with just 25% of registered voters participating, and early voting was even lower, with just 107,000 votes cast by mail or in person compared to the 656,000 votes cast on Election Day.

Statistics:

  • $4.4 million: the difference in spending between Josh Kraft and Michelle Wu as of the end of August.
  • $5 million: the amount of loans Josh Kraft made to his campaign.
  • $2.4 million: the amount of cash Michelle Wu had in her campaign account as of the end of the campaign.
  • 422,000: the number of registered voters in Boston as of February 1.
  • 39%: the percentage of Boston's registered voters who identify as Democrats.
  • 56%: the percentage of Boston's registered voters who are not enrolled in any political party.
  • 25%: the turnout in the 2021 mayoral primary.
  • 107,000: the number of votes cast by mail or in person in the 2021 mayoral primary.
  • 656,000: the number of votes cast on Election Day in the 2021 mayoral primary.
  • 93%: the percentage of total votes counted in the 2024 presidential election in Boston as of 2:24 a.m. ET.

Sources:

  • The Associated Press (AP) - "Boston Mayoral Primary: Incumbent Michelle Wu Faces Strong Challenge from Josh Kraft"
  • Boston Globe - "Boston Mayoral Primary: Josh Kraft's Fundraising Leads Michelle Wu's"
  • Boston Herald - "Boston Mayoral Primary: Michelle Wu Enters Final Days of Campaign with More Cash"

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