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With Menino Out, Who's Considering A Mayoral Bid?

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A day after Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announced he will not seek an unprecedented sixth term, the field of potential candidates to replace him is getting crowded.

There are still only three declared candidates: at-large City Councilor John Connolly, of West Roxbury; mortgage officer and Haitian newspaper co-founder Will Dorcena; and Charles Clemons, who co-founded the radio station Touch 106.1-FM.

State Rep. Marty Walsh has said he will definitely enter the race. One labor leader said Walsh is underestimated. He has a lot of labor support, including in the building trades, and a labor leader said it would be great if labor could rally around him. Walsh is also very popular with supporters of Gov. Deval Patrick and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, so he bridges what Andy Smith of the University of New Hampshire calls the two kinds of Massachusetts Democrats: union-hall Democrats and faculty club Democrats.

At-large City Councilor Ayanna Pressley has told people she is taking a serious look at running. If she were to run, she would have to be taken very seriously because she would most likely be the only woman in the race, and she is African-American. Pressley was the first African-American woman on the Boston City Council, and was the earned the most votes in the last city council elections.

But people who have worked with her said their sense is she will not run. For one thing, other potential candidates have asked for her support. People who know Pressley said she is much more likely to run for Congress if Stephen Lynch becomes the next senator or Michael Capuano becomes the next governor. People who have worked with her also said she cares deeply about the work she has done for women and girls and wants to continue that work on the city council.

City Councilor Michael Ross told WBUR he is giving serious thought to running. He said he wants to give it some deliberation, so it could take a few weeks before he decides whether he will run. But he did say he has received a lot of encouragement.

City Councilor Rob Consalvo also told WBUR he is giving serious thought to running and  will make a decision over Easter weekend.

Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley has been asking people for their opinions on whether he should run. He is older than some of the other potential candidates, and Mayor Menino set a precedent for how energetic a Boston mayor has to be.

City Councilors Tito Jackson and Charles Yancey both told WBUR they are thinking about running, and former Councilor Michael Flaherty said he is considering getting into the race, as well.

City Councilor-at-large Felix Arroyo is also taking a serious look. He came in second after Pressley in total votes in the last election. People who know both say there is no way Arroyo and Pressley will both run; they are close political allies.

This program aired on March 29, 2013.

Headshot of Fred Thys

Fred Thys Reporter
Fred Thys reported on politics and higher education for WBUR.

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