In a mayoral field that has grown in the last few months, Mayor Michelle Wu and philanthropist Josh Kraft seem to be the front runners and are expected to make it past the preliminary election.
Earlier this month, incumbent Wu officially announced her reelection campaign. There will be a preliminary election on Sept. 9, between Wu, challengers Kraft, city hall employee and community activist Kerry Augustin, community activist Domingos DaRosa, and restaurateur Jorge Mendoza-Itturalde. Wu, Kraft, and Augustin are running as democrats, while DaRosa and Mendoza-Itturalde are running as independent candidates.
“We face serious challenges in this moment, and now is not the time for a mayor who needs on-the-job training,” Wu said at her campaign launch event, referencing Kraft’s lack of political experience.
The issue of homeless encampments near the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, also known as Mass and Cass, has been ongoing since Wu’s inauguration in 2021. The area is home to a large unhoused population and is considered the epicenter of Boston’s drug crisis.
“I would like for more unhoused people to get places to live,” Sarah Krasowski, an elementary school teacher, said. “There are so many abandoned buildings that the city already owns that could very easily be turned over to some kind of public works to make it so that people who are currently living on the streets have a place to stay.”
Wu has attempted an “empathetic” solution, addressing public health through harm reduction and adding more shelter beds. In 2023, the Boston City Council passed an ordinance with support from Wu that allowed for the clearing of these encampments. The ordinance was also cited in April 2024 when police used it to clear the pro-Palestine encampment in Emerson’s 2 Boylston Place Alley.
Kraft has made Mass and Cass a central issue in his campaign, signaling a change from Wu’s harm reduction philosophy. He proposes “more proactive police enforcement,” adoption of a “recovery-first model,” and “strong support” for housing and other services.
Kenneth, a physical therapist who declined to provide a last name, will be moving to Boston from Maine this summer and is looking to learn more about local politics. He said that he leans “very left” politically, and although he was disillusioned after the last presidential election, he believes that action against the Trump administration is crucial.
“Nobody wants to be that person who goes against [the Trump administration] right now, because you see what’s happening in places like Maine,” he said, referencing the federal government’s ongoing lawsuit against the state for allowing transgender athletes to participate in girls’ sports.
In March, Wu testified before Congress along with the mayors of New York City, Denver, and Chicago, and defended Boston’s status as a sanctuary city while pushing back against negative characterizations of the city by republicans.
“When bigger cities start pushing back like that, then smaller cities follow. So you have to be the big dog. You’ve got to be, especially Boston,” Kenneth said.
Boston residents overwhelmingly voted for Kamala Harris in the last presidential election at 76.31%, and many are still voicing their contempt for Trump. Boston residents Alex Shunnarah and Rachael Demers said that they appreciated Wu’s presence in Washington, D.C.
“I like Mayor Wu’s stances on a lot of things, and I like how she’s stubborn against the current presidential administration,” Shunnarah said.
“It is important to have someone who would stand up for her constituents and not be bullied by outside pressure,” Demers added.
Shunnarah and Demers recently moved to Boston from Texas, and both agreed that the cost of living and housing were the most important issues for them.
“There is definitely not enough housing being built in Massachusetts in general, but especially in Boston,” Shunnarah said.
According to a February 2025 poll from Emerson College Polling, 37.5% of voters think that Wu will make housing more affordable, while 24.7% believe the same about Kraft.
In her time as mayor, Wu has pushed for an increase in rent control programs as part of her “housing justice” plan. Kraft has also put forth a housing affordability plan, which Wu has called “fake rent control.”
From the MBTA to bike lanes, transportation is shaping up to be a central issue in this election. Supporters of Wu approve of her bike lane construction plans, while others argue that they remove parking spaces and worsen traffic.
Jack Morse has lived in Boston for two years, and said that although he thinks the city overall aligns with his political views, transportation is a major issue.
“From what I understand, the Green Line is number one in the world for accidents,” Morse said.
Since 2023, the MBTA has removed over 220 slow zones as part of its Track Improvement Program. According to the February Emerson College poll, 61% of Boston voters say that the MBTA is heading in the right direction.
“I’m glad to see the public transportation systems have been improved under [MBTA General Manager] Phillip Eng,” Shunnarah said. Eng was appointed by Gov. Healey in 2023.
Bike lanes have been a contentious point for Wu during her time as mayor, with many voicing outrage at her plan that added more lanes throughout the city. Kraft, upon entering the race in February, promised to pause bike lane construction. Since then, Wu has rolled back bike and bus lanes downtown.
An incumbent mayor has not lost reelection in Boston since 1949. As of February, 43% support Wu for reelection, while 29% support Kraft; 24% are undecided.
“I would much rather stick with Michelle Wu,” Krasowski said. “I think [Kraft’s father] is not a fantastic human being.”
“Love the Patriots, but not him personally,” she added. “I’m sure the apple doesn’t fall far.”
