Boston Mayor Michelle Wu won Boston’s preliminary election for mayor in commanding fashion, results revealed on Sept. 10 with 99% reporting.
There were little surprises as both she and main challenger Democrat Josh Kraft, son of Patriot’s owner Robert Kraft, were the top two vote getters in Boston’s nonpartisan preliminary election.
But Wu won 72% of the vote to Kraft’s 23.1%, holding a convincing lead as they both advance to the November election.
“The next eight weeks are about more than the remaining two names on the ballot,” Wu said in her speech following the results on Sept. 9. “It’s a test of whether Boston can still be that beacon of freedom, whether 250 years later, with tyranny again at our door, whether Boston’s still got it.”
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu gestures during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing to examine the jurisdiction of “sanctuary cities” and its impact on federal immigration policy, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 5, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
In his address, Kraft said that he would “push forward harder, louder, and stronger than ever.”
“Let me be clear: we are still in this race,” he said. “The only poll that matters is in November.”
Little known challengers community organizer Domingos DaRosa and former Boston police officer Robert Cappucci garnered 2.6% and 2.3% respectively, knocking them out of the race.
Trump’s place in the election
Much of Wu’s momentum with voters has been driven by her pushback to the Trump administration’s scrutiny of the city. In March, Wu’s defense of sanctuary city policy, which limits how much local police cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, at a congressional hearing earned her national attention.
Shortly after, her support began to rise. Between its February and September polls, Emerson saw a 30% uptick in people who planned to vote for Wu.
“That really elevated her in the eyes of voters because they know she will stand up for Boston,” said Mary Anne Marsh, a local Democratic political analyst.
Wu mentioned Trump in her address after her win.
“Today,” she said, “You sent a message to Josh Kraft, to Donald Trump, and to all their enablers: Boston is not for sale.”
On the other hand, Kraft has had to distinguish himself from his father, who has had a longtime friendship with Trump, and struggled to sway voters in the same way through housing, education and public safety issues.
Josh Kraft, Mayoral candidate, talks to the press during a pro-immigration rally, as Boston Mayor Michelle Wu testifies in Congres, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., March 5, 2025.
“We’re seeing threats to democracy as the top issue in the city and having Wu take on Trump on these issues has given her kind of a different opponent,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, told USA TODAY. “Kraft is almost an afterthought.”
When is the general election?
The general election will take place on Nov. 4.
Oct. 25 is the last day to register to vote for that election, and early voting will take place from Oct. 25-31.
How do I register to vote?
In order to vote in the Boston mayoral election, you must be:
There is no same day voter registration in Massachusetts. So, to register to vote, you must do so in advance. You can check your voter status here.
If you aren’t registered, you can do so online, in person or by mail.
Contributing: Karissa Waddick
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Boston mayoral primary results: Wu wins, Wu and Kraft advance