Endorsements roll in for Wu and Essaibi George as election nears

By Talia Lissauer
Boston University News Service

Endorsements for Boston mayoral candidates Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George are split between politicians and labor groups less than a month before the election.

Wu earned the endorsement of Acting Mayor Kim Janey, who took office after Marty Walsh became U.S. secretary of labor, and was the first female and first Black mayor of Boston. Janey said she has made progress over the last six months with housing efforts and vaccine distribution and believes Wu is the best to continue that work.

“Black and Brown residents who are most impacted by systemic inequities need a leader in City Hall who will center equity and inclusion in all her policies, and ensure they have a seat at the table when real decisions are made,” Janey said in a statement.

Wu’s most recent endorsement came from Sen. Ed Markey early this month. Markey’s endorsement followed that of Elizabeth Warren, the other Massachusetts senator who endorsed Wu back in January. Pundits attribute Markey’s endorsement to Wu’s progressive platform, which includes extensive action against the effects of climate change among other progressive staples.

“Her proposals to expand access to free public transportation, decarbonize our economy, and invest in the basic rights of clean air and water will put Boston on a path to implement the systemic changes we need to provide our children, workers, and families a just and livable future,” Markey said in a statement.

The decision came a year after Markey was up for reelection, when Wu did not publicly endorse him, while Essaibi George was one of the first to do so.

While Wu’s gotten the endorsements of several elected officials, including U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley and State Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz, the majority of Essaibi George’s endorsements are unions and labor groups, such as the Iron Workers Local 7 and Local 223 Laborers.

Painters and Allied Trades DC 35, which has over 1,000 members in Boston, also endorsed Essaibi George. Other endorsements have come from the Boston Fire Department, which noted her support for first responders while working on City Council.

“From showing up at our firehouses with coffee, to picking up the phone to check in on our brave men and women, to advocating for investments in our health and safety, she has our backs and we have unanimously voted to have hers in this race,” said John Soares, president of the local firefighters’ union IAFF, in a statement.

This all comes after an intense primary election, in which the two at-Large City Council members were the top two of eight candidates. Together, the two accounted for 55.9% of the vote (33.4% for Wu, 22.5% for Essaibi George).

No matter who wins, Boston will have its first female and first person of color elected to the mayor’s office.

Andrea Campbell placed third in the preliminary election and said she will make her endorsement public by the Nov. 2 election.

The full list of endorsements for Wu and for Essaibi George are available on their campaign websites.