boston politics

The year 2021 brought significant turnover to Boston City Hall. After an historic campaign season, three mayors and a low-turnout election, Boston is now on the brink of a few major political changes.

In the year 2021, as was the case in 2020, news around the globe was dominated by a microscopic virus that has brought the world to its knees. Yet 2021 in Boston also was a year of historic political firsts — with four women running for mayor and a new crop of Black, Latino and Asian politicians who have redrawn the political landscape in the city.

To a packed city council chamber and crowds scattered throughout City Hall, Michelle Wu was sworn in as Boston’s first elected female mayor and first elected mayor of color Tuesday afternoon.

At Hibernian Hall in Roxbury last Wednesday night, acting Mayor Kim Janey closed out her historic tenure as Boston’s 55th mayor and as the first woman and person of color to lead the city.

When Boston’s new mayor is sworn in on Nov. 16, she will trigger a temporary political shuffle to hold spots until January, when the next crop of city councilors is sworn in.

When Ruthzee Louijeune arrived at her election night party at dbar in Dorchester Tuesday night, the mood was already bright and raucous. She moved through the crowd, taking photos with supporters and greeting members of her team.

Kendra Hicks, 31, candidate for Boston’s District 6 — which encompasses Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, Roslindale and parts of Egleston Square near Roxbury — declared victory Tuesday night in her bid to become the first person of color, male or female, to represent the district.

Michelle Wu made history on Tuesday night as the first woman and first person of color to be elected as Boston’s mayor.

As the results from precincts across District 7 trickled into her Nubian Square campaign office, Tania Fernandes Anderson took to the stage to acknowledge what had long seemed like a forgone conclusion: she handily defeated perennial candidate Roy Owens, the unconventional Roxbury minister whose anti-Muslim rhetoric failed to sway voters.

The City Council will begin the process of redrawing electoral district boundaries later this year.

Seven candidates for the District 7 City Council seat discussed housing, the opiod crisis, public safety and other municipal issues during an online forum hosted by local ward committees and civic groups last week.

On Saturday, June 26, activists from the Youth Justice and Power Union gathered at City Hall to demand a $120 million cut from the police budget and a cancellation of the new class of 250 police officers.