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Boston's Morning Newsletter
Here are the results in all 4 Boston City Council preliminary races
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
While you were Googling the new charger you’ll need for the latest iPhone, here’s what happened in yesterday’s local elections.
Boston voters dumped two embattled city councilors. Never since the Council adopted its current 13-member structure in the 1980s had an incumbent councilor failed to advance past the preliminary. But yesterday, it happened twice. Here’s a look at the (still technically unofficial) results.
- District 5: Councilor Ricardo Arroyo is out. He finished third, with 18% of votes, behind former City Hall official Enrique Pepén (40%) and retired Boston police officer Jose Ruiz (31%). The outcome also sets up something of a fall proxy battle between Mayor Michelle Wu (who backed Pepén) and former mayor Marty Walsh (who backed Ruiz, a former member of his police detail).
- District 6: Councilor Kendra Lara also lost her seat after one term. She got 20% of the vote, behind labor attorney Ben Weber (42%) and IT worker William King (37%).
- District 3: In the seven-way race for outgoing Councilor Frank Baker’s Dorchester-based seat, Boston Planning and Development Agency official John FitzGerald was the leading vote-getter (43%). With all 34 precincts reporting, it looks like he’ll face Boston Public Schools teacher Joel Richards, who came in second (19%) with 84 more votes than nonprofit leader Ann Walsh (18%).
- District 7: Incumbent Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson locks in her position for a second term after getting 57% of the preliminary vote. She’ll face perennial candidate and one-time councilor Althea Garrison (20%) in the general election.
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno cruised through to the general election with 48% of the preliminary vote. He’ll face City Councilor Justin Hurst, who came in clear-cut second place with 29%.
- Sarno didn’t get much time to savor the preliminary win, having to shift his attention to a water main break that led to the closure of all schools in Springfield today. There’s also a citywide boil water notice.
- Click here for more on last night’s preliminary election results from Springfield, Haverhill, Waltham, Newton and more.
School is also canceled again today in Leominster, as the city recovers from devastating flooding after it was hit by 11 inches of rain in a span of five hours on Monday. Gov. Maura Healey has declared a state of emergency to free up more state resources for flood recovery efforts.
- Commuter rail trains are being replaced by buses on the Fitchburg Line between Wachusett and Shirley because of flood damage to the tracks. Officials say Boston-bound riders should expect delays of up to 30 minutes as trains wait for the buses at Shirley.
- With more rain in the forecast this afternoon, state emergency officials fear there could be even more flooding damage.
Swim (and surf) with caution: The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy has pulled its five shark trackers out of the waters off Cape Cod so they don’t get damaged by Hurricane Lee. (The monitors, which provide tracking data to the popular Sharktivity app, cost $15,000 each.)
- Important: The AWSC says they will likely keep the trackers out of water for the rest of this year — but that doesn’t mean shark season is over. In fact, white shark activity remains at its peak through October, according to AWSC head Cynthia Wigren.
- Speaking of Lee: Here’s the latest on the hurricane’s path and potential impacts for the East Coast and New England.
Make way for… construction. Today marks the start of a months-long closure of the Boston Public Garden’s busiest pedestrian walkway. According to the Friends of the Public Garden, the park’s Arlington Street entrance and the area surrounding the George Washington statue will be closed from 8 a.m. this morning until next spring.
- The reason for the closure is renovation work to improve the area around two nearby fountains. Read more about the project here.
P.S.— We’re excited to announce a new project that we’ve been working on for almost a year aimed at helping you navigate this place we call home. WBUR’s official Field Guide to Boston gives you the inside scoop on local know-how and the hidden gems that make this city so special, whether you’re a native or a newbie. Read more about the project from our editors here. And keep an eye on your inbox for an extra, special-edition newsletter later this morning; we’ll tour you through all the stories, events and more.
