Frank Baker, who represented parts of Dorchester as the District 3 city councillor from 2011-2023, hopes to return to the City Council next year as a citywide delegate. Last Thursday, Baker visited the Election Department in City Hall and signed up to begin collecting the 1,500 nominations needed to get on the at-large ballot.
“Since I stepped back from my role on the City Council, I have heard a steady beat of Bostonians urging me to step back in and get involved,” Baker wrote in a social media post on X, the former Twitter. “After much deliberation and discussion, I have decided to answer the call and do just that.”
The decision is a bit of a surprise since Baker, who lives in Savin Hill with his wife and two children, chose not to run for re-election in 2023, saying, “The privilege and responsibility of serving as a city councillor requires my round-the-clock dedication. I cannot fulfill my obligation in any other way than 100 percent committed to the duty of this role. For an assortment of reasons, now is the right time for me to move on to the next chapter of my life, with my family.”
Baker was succeeded in the District 3 job by John FitzGerald, who is currently running unopposed for re-election.
In recent months, Baker has been a frequent presence at community events and meeting, often accompanying mayoral challenger Josh Kraft. He was at Kraft’s side when the candidate made an appearance before the Pope’s Hill Neighborhood Association last month.
If he succeeds in making the ballot, Baker will join a field that could include as many as 18 men and women. So far, only incumbent Julia Mejia, also of Dorchester, has been certified by election department officials, who verify signatures that are submitted by campaigns. The deadline to turn in signatures for approval is next Tuesday, May 20. The ballot should be set within an additional week or so.
If there are more than eight candidates who are certified— a likely scenario this year— they will face off in the preliminary election, set for Tues., Sept. 9. Early voting begins on Aug. 30, according to the city’s website. The top eight finishers would then compete for four at-large seats on Nov. 4. All four incumbent councillors— Erin Murphy, Ruthzee Louijeune, Henry Santana, and Mejia— are planning to see re-election.
•••
Mrs. Angela Menino says she’s backing Mayor Wu for re-election and notes that her late husband would have backed her as well.
“As Mayor, Michelle has continued Tommy’s legacy, by showing up, taking care of the small things and building the trust necessary to get big things done,” Mrs. Menino said in a statement on Monday. “Knowing Michelle from her time working with my husband in City Hall, we were both deeply impressed with her sharp mind and ability to focus on improving the lives of Boston residents while she attended law school, raised her sister, and navigated family dynamics. We have seen her work hard to make Boston a home for everyone. She has my vote and full support.”
•••
Wu and Kraft — who have both been certified for the ballot— will each make an appearance at an event this Thursday (May 15) that organizers are billing as the “kickoff” of forum season. The 6:15 p.m. session will be moderated by GBH News reporter Saraya Wintersmith and will also include three other men who say they will run for mayor this year: Domingos DaRosa, Kerry Augustin, and Alex Alex.
It will take place at Suffolk University’s Modern Theatre and be hosted by several Democratic ward committees, including Dorchester’s wards 15, 17, and Mattapan’s ward 18 groups. It will be live-streamed at BostonMayoralForum.eventbrite.com.
•••
A new Republican candidate is emerging to challenge Gov. Healey in next year’s gubernatorial election. Brian Shortsleeve, a 52-year-old Cape Cod resident who used to work for former Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration as an MBTA executive, announced his intention to run for the GOP nomination on Monday. He’ll face another former Baker aide— Michael Kennealy— who announced his plan to run last month.
Unlike Kennealy— a more moderate Republican who ran Baker’s housing office and says he “blanked” the presidential ballot last year— Shortsleeve, who served in the US Marine Corps and has worked in venture capital since leaving state government, identifies as a Trump voter.
Healey, who said she plans to seek reelection next year, so far has drawn just one potential opponent on the Democrat side: Dorchester resident Andrea James, who is a criminal justice reform advocate.
