Frank Baker says he'll bring 'balance' if he returns to Boston City Council

Frank Baker was nervous.

The 57 year old was headed to Saturday morning soccer games in Charlestown to tell young families why they should vote for him to return to Boston City Council.

He got into his gray pickup truck, a Tacoma littered with political fliers and lath screws, and turned up the music. Jazz from the '50s came through the speakers.

“This allows me to take deep breaths and just be measured," he said. "I grew up in total chaos, so like chaos, you just sound off, you just yell. I need to be measured. I need to think before I speak.”

Baker, the 12th of 13 children, grew up in Dorchester, worked in the City Hall print shop for 25 years, and then served on the council for six terms.

The self-described "lunch-bucket Democrat" — who leans conservative on policy, despite his resistance to the label — decided not to run for reelection two years ago after a serious case of long-COVID, back-to-back strokes, and a political controversy that added to his reputation as a fighter.

In one hotly criticized moment, he accused fellow councilor Liz Breadon of trying to marginalize Catholic neighborhoods in a redistricting debate, citing the councilor's Irish Protestant upbringing.

“This is an insult. It is an absolute disgrace,” Breadon said at the time.

But since then, Baker said “what ifs” have been in the back of his mind about returning to office. So now he's looking to make a political comeback, saying he wants to bring more “balance” to a largely progressive City Council as one of four at-large councilors.

The results of the race in November may give a window into the priorities of the city’s Democratic base.

The current Boston City Council is dominated by a progressive supermajority that often follows the lead of Mayor Michelle Wu. Votes on the council floor are frequently split 9-3.

Since Josh Kraft dropped out of the mayor’s race and no other candidate got enough votes in September to move forward, Wu said she was turning her time and attention to the council races. In the preliminary election on Sept. 9, Baker came in fifth, trailing progressive incumbent Henry Santana by 4,400 votes.

Santana has benefitted from the mayor’s support. For example, in May, her campaign reportedly scrambled to help him collect enough signatures to get on the preliminary ballot.

A Dominican immigrant who grew up in the city’s public housing, Santana said he feels good about his chances — specifically against Baker.

“Boston residents are smart. Boston residents understand where we want to go and I represent Boston’s future and I think my opponent doesn’t,” he said.

Baker, on the other hand, served on the City Council at the same time as Wu and was often at odds with her.

Little has changed: Unlike Wu, Baker thinks Boston police could work with federal immigration agents more. While Baker voted in favor of the Trust Act in 2014 and 2019 that limits local law enforcement cooperation with federal agents to criminal matters, he said it’s now gotten “twisted” in a game of “political football” against President Trump.

He also pushes for more involuntary commitments for people with drug addiction and mental illness who frequent the area of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard.

When asked about Trump, Baker pivots back to local issues.

" We don't need to work with the president," he said. "We just, we stay in our lane. We worry about Boston."

From student's reading skills to street maintenance to the city's budget, Baker said there are plenty of issues to focus on are are unrelated to the federal administration.

“ We have a lot going on in the city of Boston that has nothing to do with Donald Trump that we need to address,” he said.

" We don't need to work with the president. We just, we stay in our lane. We worry about Boston."

Frank Baker

Larry DiCara, a former Boston city councilor who has long advised current and former members, said Bostonians historically have favored balance on the council — and that could help Baker.

“We had a situation in 1981 when Kevin White was still mayor. He was very upset with the City Council. He ran seven candidates on a slate. It was called the ‘Kevin Seven,’ and only one of them won,” he said. “Because the people in their infinite wisdom wanted to have a balance of power.”

DiCara, who has contributed funds to the Wu, Baker and Santana campaigns equally since December, said Baker’s politics will win him votes, but ideology isn’t the only factor. Old Boston connections still count.

“Frank has a swath of support up and down Dorchester Avenue because he comes from a family, he's one of 13. There are Bakers everywhere,” DiCara said. “ So friends and neighbors [are] important.”

Still, Baker is mindful of Boston’s powerful progressive voting bloc: He even gets regular advice on updating his language from a 22-year-old political aide.

“Let's get three of our top guys,” he said, discussing city police, before interrupting himself and turning to her. “And I use guys. It could be men and women, right, Louisa?”

“Yes,” said Louisa Siciliano, with a laugh.

“Um, three of our top people and figure this out,” Baker corrected himself.

The common thread for voters, according to Baker, is that many feel disconnected from City Hall, and he believes he can help fix that.

It’ll ultimately come down to voter turnout. Wu’s lock on another term could mean some progressive voters skip voting, which may give Baker a boost in the election, DiCara said.

He’ll compete for the four at-large seats with incumbents Ruthzee Louijeune, Julia Mejia, Erin Murphy and Santana, and with challengers Alexandra Valdez, Marvin Mathelier and Will Onuoha.

“This is a close race,” DiCara said. “It's up to Frank to do the work and get out his vote.”