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Where Josh Kraft stands on the issues facing Boston, from housing to bike lanes
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What’s Josh Kraft’s vision for this city? For the first time, we got an idea of what he would — and wouldn’t — do as mayor.
The 57-year-old nonprofit leader, and son of Patriots owner Robert Kraft, launched his self-described “underdog” campaign yesterday against Mayor Michelle Wu. During his kickoff speech in Dorchester, Kraft argued the first-term incumbent “has not risen” to the city’s housing, education and transportation challenges.
So, what would he do differently? Here’s what we know about Kraft’s platform after his first day on the campaign trail:
Housing: Kraft pinpointed housing costs as the top challenge facing the city — and primarily blamed “regulations imposed by the current administration” for slowing the production of new homes. As mayor, he said he’d offer developers “one-time incentives” to jumpstart construction. Kraft also pledged to create an affordable housing fund to offer some sort of help to first-time homebuyers and renters.
- Kraft also floated his own spin on rent control — a policy championed and advanced by Wu, but blocked by State House lawmakers. As an apparent workaround to Beacon Hill, Kraft said he would offer real estate tax breaks to building owners who agree to cap rent increases over 10 years. “ This program will be targeted at properties that serve middle and lower income residents and would exclude all luxury rentals,” he said.
- In response to the critiques, Wu told reporters yesterday her three years in office has “created more affordable housing than in the last 25 years.” She also questioned which regulations Kraft would target to boost construction: “Is it a proposal … to roll back affordability requirements in order to speed along the process? Is it a proposal to roll back climate requirements? Or is it a proposal to try to issue tax breaks in ways that will give up revenue for the city for decades to come?”
Schools: Kraft called for a school committee with “ elected members, along with appointed members.” Since 1992, all of Boston’s school board members have been appointed by the mayor. But in 2021, nearly 80% of voters said they wanted to switch back to electing members. “ As mayor, I will make that happen,” Kraft said.
- Wu — who has also expressed support for a “hybrid” committee of elected and appointed members — vetoed a proposal passed by the City Council in 2023 to move to a fully elected school board.
Transportation: As mayor, Kraft said he would order “an immediate pause” on all new bike lane construction — a point of controversy from Back Bay to Mattapan, as Wu has pushed to make the city safer for those on two wheels.
Soccer stadiums: Kraft expressed support for pausing the plan to renovate Franklin Park’s White Stadium, due to growing costs and concerns from neighbors. (Kraft also said he’d recuse himself from the city’s discussions with his father’s company about the planned New England Revolution soccer stadium over the river in Everett.)
Immigration: He said he supports Boston’s Trust Act, which limits how local police can cooperate with federal deportation efforts — an again-salient issue under President Trump.
Jobs: Kraft pledged to “breathe new life” into Operation Exit, an apprenticeship program started by former Mayor Marty Walsh to help former prison inmates get career training in the building trades, culinary arts and technology fields.
WBUR’s Walter Wuthmann has more here on what turned out to be a testy first day of campaigning, between Kraft’s pointed criticisms of Wu and the mayor’s dig at the fact he only recently moved to Boston.
In other news:
Somerville’s mayoral race is also heating up. City Councilor Willie Burnley Jr. became the third candidate to jump into the race yesterday, alongside incumbent Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and fellow Councilor Jake Wilson. Burnley, a 31-year-old democratic socialist, would be Somerville’s first Black mayor and its second youngest ever.
Shrewsbury’s new zoning law to comply with the MBTA Communities Act will stand, following a town-wide referendum yesterday. While the no side actually got more votes, they failed to reach the 20% turnout threshold required to overturn the plan.
P.S.— It’s no 2015, but get ready for a stretch of snow over the next few days. Starting tomorrow morning through the weekend, New England is slated to get a series of fast-moving snowstorms. The good news is we should be measuring the accumulation in inches, not feet. Meteorologist Danielle Noyes has a complete forecast here.
