Last updated on September 14, 2020
Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu’s candidacy for mayor was always the worst kept secret, and became a foregone conclusion once Mayor Marty Walsh said she told him about her candidacy.
In a campaign video, Wu highlights being a mom, a daughter of immigrants, and how she had to take care of her family once her mother’s mental health deteriorated.
“We’re in an unprecedented time as Boston faces a pandemic, an economic crisis, and a national reckoning on systemic racism,” said Wu. “To meet this moment, we need leadership that matches the scale and urgency of our challenges.”
Wu, who was the youngest Boston City Council president ever, has been on the council for seven years, and commonly rode the MBTA system before the pandemic. She has advocated for the MBTA to be free for all. She has also called for the Boston Planning & Development Agency to be dismantled.
“Business as usual has been failing Bostonians since well before the pandemic, and COVID-19 has exposed and exacerbated deep inequities across our city,” said Wu. “In this moment of crisis, it’s not only possible but necessary to reimagine community-based leadership with the vision and conviction to act.”
Wu announced a full slate of campaign activities for the coming days, including a Jamaica Plain day on Sept. 18. Along with a supporter standout in the afternoon, and a house party, she’ll also be greeting riders at the Forest Hills Station at 7:30 am.
“We can build wealth in all our communities, value public education, plan for our neighborhoods, invest in housing we can afford and transportation that serves everyone, truly fund public health for safety and healing, and deliver on a city Green New Deal for clean air and water, healthy homes, and the brightest future for our children.”