Here are my endorsements for the 2023 City of Boston City Council election on Tuesday, November 7. Please vote!
City Councillor-at-Large
I will be voting for:
- Ruthzee Louijeune
- Julia Mejia
- Henry Santana
Yes, you can vote for up to four candidates, and yes, I am only endorsing three. None of the other candidates deserves your vote. If you feel like you absolutely must use your fourth vote, then Shawn Nelson is the least bad of the other candidates.
Anti-endorsements:
- What little content there is on Clifton Braithwaite’s web site is full of typos, and there is no substantive content about his positions or what policies he is advocating. He’s a joke candidate.
- Catherine Vitale is a racist. All of the code words and phrases showing that are right there on her web site for anyone to see. Right there on the home page: “YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS WILL HELP US TAKE BOSTON BACK!”
- Bridget Nee-Walsh isn’t quite as obvious about it as Vitale, but it’s there. Also, she’s endorsed by the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association and brags about it on her site. That’s an automatic disqualifier.
- Shawn Nelson is unqualified and on the wrong side of too many issues. Examples from his web site:
- “Eliminate oversized bike lanes that cause traffic congestion.”
- “Parents Rights: I will ensure that parents are aware of what is being taught to their children and have the final word in decisions about the curriculum.” (Also, that should be “Parents’ Rights”, not “Parents Rights”; he loses a point for the grammar error.)
- “I will work to find a solution to affordable-housing issues by bringing renters and landlords together in conversations about the high cost of living.” This is just stupid pandering.
- Erin Murphy is also disqualified by the BPPA endorsing her and her bragging about it, not to mention DA Kevin Hayden and Sheriff Steven Tompkins.
District 3
I’m not in District 3, but if I were voting there, I would vote for Joel Richards. His opponent, John FitzGerald, is very much an establishment candidate, and FitzGerald was endorsed by the BPPA.
District 5
I’m not in District 5, but if I were voting there, I would vote for Enrique Pepén. He has good experience and good endorsements, and his opponent Jose Ruiz is endorsed by, among others, Erin Murphy and the BPPA.
District 6
D6 has the luxury this year of choosing between two decent candidates. Having said that, Benjamin Weber has been endorsed by several grassroots progressive organizations, so if I were voting in D6 I’d lean toward voting for him.
District 7
If I were in D7, then Tania Fernandes Anderson would earn my vote for numerous reasons, most notably:
- Althea Garrison is a has-been who should not be trying to unseat a qualified incumbent.
- Anderson’s focus on COVID-19 is important and distinguishes her from most other City Council candidates across the city.
District 8
If I were in D8, I’d vote for Sharon Durkan, because she’s a good candidate and because Montez Haywood is endorsed by the BPPA.
District 9
I live in D9, and I will be voting again for Liz Breadon. Liz has earned my vote by being an effective advocate for her district, making a difference on policies we care about, getting stuff done, and being on the “right side of history” numerous times in the turbulence that has roiled the City Council during her tenure there. I don’t agree with everything she’s said and done, but on balance I am happy with her representation.
Jacob deBlecourt is a nice person who I agree with on many things, but he’s green, and he isn’t going to represent D9 better than Liz. I hope this election helps position him to run for office successfully in the future against a candidate he deserves to beat.
