Following the results of the preliminary election, city councilors Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George will remain on the ballot for the general election for Boston mayor on November 2, 2021.

Michelle Wu, after graduating from law school, solidified a footing in local government – interning in City Hall under former Mayor Tom Menino, serving as Senator Elizabeth Warren’s political and constituency group organizer for her 2012 campaign, and has been  serving as a City Councilor since 2014. Wu’s mayoral campaign centers largely around policy regarding racial, economic, and climate justice.

Wu’s most popular policy proposal regards public transportation, nicknamed ‘Free the T’. Besides completely eliminating fares on the MBTA –hence the nickname– Wu plans to implement infrastructure consisting of expanding sidewalks, creating designated bus lanes, and more structural changes aimed to reduce traffic in Boston. 

Wu has also notably formulated an agenda to tackle climate concerns. Through this objective, Wu plans to promote access to public transportation and clean air and water, create new green jobs, and reach citywide “carbon neutrality by 2040, with 100% of [Boston’s] energy coming from renewable sources by 2030.” .

Prior to her involvement in local politics, Annissa Essaibi George taught at East Boston High School and coached their softball team. After 13 years of teaching, Essaibi George was elected to City Council in 2016. Her mayoral campaign’s website that policy plans are formulated by input from the Boston community and viewed as malleable to the people’s wants and needs rather than closed-ended targets.

As a former teacher, Essaibi George strongly advocates for equal education access and safer schools. She plans to ensure public schools are fully staffed, provide access to needed classroom materials, work closely and communicate with the superintendent and other Boston Public School staff, and more changes to create an accessible public school system.

Essaibi George’s most discussed policies are her plans regarding the Boston Police Department – whom she’s endorsed by. Specifically, she plans to increase diversity among police officers, expand the cadet program (“by partner[ing] the cadet program with [Boston Public Schools], vocational schools and local universities”), and more changes to expand, better train, and enhance the Boston Police Department.

Simmons students are getting in on the mayoral race. First year Jade Tyra and some friends recently canvassed for the Wu campaign. Tyra said in a statement to The Voice that after reading through Wu’s policy proposals and speaking with locals, she felt that “[Wu] was more committed to and had actual plans to achieve” her platform as opposed to other candidates.

To vote in the municipal election, Bostonians must be registered to vote by October 13, 2021. Early voting will open on October 23, 2021, and close on October 29, 2021. The official election day is November 2, 2021 – polling locations will be open from 7:00a.m. to 8:00p.m..