Marty Walsh Re-Elected As Mayor Of Boston
BOSTON (CBS/AP) - Mayor Marty Walsh has been re-elected as the mayor of Boston.
Turnout was running slightly above predictions Tuesday, more than 22% of Boston voters cast ballots.
In Walsh's acceptance speech he discussed the progress he said the city has made in the last four years and how he will continue it.
"Four years ago, my dream came true. You chose this son-of-immigrants to serve the city that we love. I said then that we are in this together, every neighborhood, every race and religion, every woman, every man, every child and I meant it. And we proved it, we created over 70,000 jobs together," Walsh said.
"Immigrants seeking a better life choose Boston. They risk everything to come to our city and I will always have their back."
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh was opposed by City Councilor Tito Jackson, who, if elected, would have been Boston's first black mayor.
No incumbent Boston mayor has lost a re-election bid since the legendary James Michael Curley.
After casting his ballot at a Boston Public Library branch in Dorchester, Walsh told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 he felt "really good" about the election.
Boston has had only four mayors in the last 50 years, and no incumbent has lost a re-election bid since the legendary James Michael Curley in 1949.
Jackson, a Roxbury resident and three-term district city councilor, spoke to WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kendall Buhl about how he wanted to continue the fight for affordable housing that his late father, community activist Herb Jackson, devoted his life to.
"I think about my dad every single day when I do this work," Jackson said. "He would say, 'That's what love does to people' … you know what, knocking on doors, for me, is what love does to people."
— Bernice Freedman (@BerniceNews) November 8, 2017
Jackson made affordable housing a centerpiece of his campaign, arguing that soaring rents and property values were pricing too many ordinary Bostonians out of the city.
Portions of the city, including the seaport district, have continued to see booming commercial development during Walsh's tenure. The mayor was credited with helping lure General Electric to move its corporate headquarters to Boston last year.
Critics have accused Walsh of overreaching at times, notably by supporting the city's aborted bid for the 2024 Olympics.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)