If elected mayor, Kraft says he’d lean on philanthropy and improve community engagement

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and her lead challenger Josh Kraft both agree that federal funding cuts will hit the city’s education, health care and climate sectors hard.

But Kraft, the former CEO of Boston Boys & Girls Clubs and son of the Patriots owner Robert Kraft, is trying to make the case that he’s the right person to lead the city through changes the Trump administration might bring.

At The WBUR Festival Saturday morning, Kraft said he’d rely on his relationships with the federal delegation and wealthy local donors to help bridge the gap.

“I would rely on those folks and say, ‘Look, I know this is where you worked. You know, you created this center at Harvard School of Public Health or BU Medical School. We need your help even more now,’” he said. “‘ I need you to look deep into yourself and see if you can continue to help us to get us through this administration’s cuts of crucial programs that benefit not just people in Boston, but everyone across the country.’”

When asked, Kraft said he has “no idea” whether his father’s relationship with Trump will help the city, and said that he disagreed with his father’s support for the president.

In contrast, Wu touted the city’s efforts to fight the Trump administration's impact through the courts during a conversation at The WBUR Festival on Friday afternoon.

In a surprising moment, Kraft said Wu did a “great job” testifying about Boston’s relationship with federal immigration enforcement in Washington D.C. in March. Asked whether Wu is a “bad mayor,” he demurred.

“A bad mayor? No, I wouldn't say she's a bad mayor,” he said. “I've traveled throughout the city of Boston, all neighborhoods for 35 years, and I have a lot of contacts. And of course over the last year I've really connected with folks, whether they be in the Back Bay, to Mattapan Square, to East Boston, to West Roxbury, and everywhere in between. And a lot I hear the same thing from everybody: They do not feel listened to.”

That’s one of the cornerstones of Kraft’s campaign: from issues around traffic, to Boston public schools, to White Stadium, he says he’d take a different approach to community engagement than Wu has.

To deliver on that, Kraft said he’s working with Michael Kineavy, who was former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino’s “right hand man” for 21 years.

“Kineavy has explained that under Mayor Menino’s administration, we would really hear the community,” Kraft said. “We would really try to understand their fears and their positives about a project, and we would figure out what's gonna work best for the majority of the community.”

Wu had addressed the criticism that she’s not a good listener while speaking at the festival on Friday.

“There are a lot of voices in this space,” she said. “And every day I look to make the decisions that will move us forward, even if they're hard, even if we have to keep talking about how to keep improving.”