But Wu, the leader of the polls, expressed confidence in his supporters shortly after 10pm, even though the city’s polling station showed nothing more than zero. She said she was sure she had gotten one of the top two spots to advance to the finals. The individual campaigns had gathered and counted the number of votes in each district before the city released them, and said their clues showed that those in Wu victory was inevitable.
“I am humbled by your support, it inspires me in your leadership,” Wu told his volunteers, many of whom have spent weeks knocking on doors and have been at polling stations all day Tuesday.
“Although the votes are still to be counted tonight… We already know what the option is for the city of Boston: it is a choice for our future,” he said. option on whether the City Council addresses our biggest problems with bold solutions or whether we bite the edges of the status quo ”.
He added, as the crowd erupted in cheers, “Boston is in a time of incredible opportunity, and now it’s on our shoulders. [to] know that moment “.
Across the town of Dorchester, Essaibi George danced on stage with friends and supporters at the Venezia restaurant and told the crowd shortly after 11.30pm that they assured him he had reached the final.
Essaibi George was less declarative than Wu, but remained confident, thanking his mother’s support and declaring that “his daughter will be the mayor.”
“It is very important that we take the time necessary to count all the votes,” he said in what appeared to be a victory speech. “It doesn’t mean we don’t celebrate, but we make sure every vote is counted.”
The crowd was emaciated, bursting into occasional chants of “Annissa!”
It also seemed like it was taking Wu’s first hits to have what he framed as cake ideas in the sky.
“You won’t find me on a tray … you’ll find me in your neighborhood, doing the work,” he said, adding, “The audacity is to do it. Instead of advocating and participating in academic exercises.”
By his counts, Wu and Essaibi George he defeated Janey and Campbell, who followed Essaibi George, respectively. Campbell awarded Essaibi George second place in a passionate speech to supporters shortly before Essaibi George took the stage.
John Barros, the city’s former head of economic development, ranked last among the top candidates, according to campaign records.
“This campaign was never about a job. We proposed a bold future for Boston with transformative changes. This is a job I have been doing all my life, and I look forward to continuing this work for people in my community and throughout Boston, in collaboration with our community, ”Barros said in a statement.
Despite the city’s failure to produce any results well past midnight, two women of color will square out in the Nov. 2 general election for the first time in Boston’s 200-year history of mayoral election. a maritime change for a city that has served as a bastion of white male political power, and this is still recovering from the wounds of its racial past.
And yet the results were also discussed a heartbreaking blow for Boston’s black communities, who since 1983 had considered Campbell and Janey their best chance of seeing a black person elected mayor. It was the year Mel King galvanized blue-collar communities to become the first black man to come to an end, after decades of racial strife in the city. He eventually lost to Raymond Flynn.
Campbell told reporters Tuesday night when he admitted that “we should be proud. We should raise our heads. It’s not the result we wanted. It’s not the result we expected. But we have something we’re extremely proud of. ”.
Janey, who never appeared at her own party, issued a statement shortly after midnight. “While we’re still waiting for some results, it looks like we’ve fallen short in the election,” Janey said, congratulating Wu and Essaibi George. She was proud of what she had achieved in her time as acting mayor.
“At City Hall, as Boston’s first woman and first black mayor, we not only made history, we made a difference,” she said.
Wu, a mother of two from Roslindale, 36, is an Asian American, the daughter of Taiwanese immigrant parents. Essaibi George, 47, is the mother of four children from Dorchester and her father was a Tunisian Arab Muslim, her mother of Polish descent.
Tuesday was disappointing participation levels, with only about 100,000 voters, or about 25% of the voting electorate. According to a recent poll conducted by research group MassInc, the low level of interest in the race probably helped Essaibi George, who had built a solid base among voters most likely to vote in a preliminary election. Turnout in the preliminary municipal elections is usually lower than in other races and only attracts the most consistent voters.
These conditions did little to help Janey and Campbell, who had been in fierce competition for second place with Essaibi George until Tuesday and who depended on high turnout, according to the recent poll. Wu had been the leader in this and other recent polls.
Voting results were less than the 31% turnout the city saw in the last preliminary mayoral election, in 2013. In this race, Martin J. Walsh, an ally and close friend of Essaibi George , who grew up in the same Dorchester district – outperformed a wide variety of candidates to advance to the final election. He finally won.
Essaibi George had inherited many of Walsh’s supporters; he escorted his mother to the polls on Thursday.
What comes next is a historic and definitive confrontation between Wu, a champion of the politically progressive movement that has consolidated in Boston and reformed its ideological identity, and Essaibi George, who has taken a more conservative path to focus on quality of life issues. , such as public safety and school improvement.
An aide to Essaibi George told the Globe that the campaign was already preparing for a final between the two candidates and would define Wu as a progressive overview the focus on issues such as the environment and transportation was unrealistic and unrelated to day-to-day tasks as mayor.
Essaibi George had laid the groundwork for placing social workers in schools and focusing on education and public safety.
But Wu has overcome the very progressive moment that has brought about an ideological shift in Boston, as voters identify as more liberal and progressive, according to recent polls. City councilor since 2014 and first woman of color elected chair of the council, she has also built a platform to address housing inequalities and address racial and economic disparities.
It is also popular with younger and younger voters, in a city that has seen its population grow by more than 60,000 people over the past decade, according to a recent Balloon survey.
The poll of 500 likely voters shows that what matters most to them is education (20 percent), followed by housing (19 percent), racism and equity (17 percent) and the economy. and employment (14 percent).
The showdown could also frame a city of changing ideologies, pitting Boston’s traditional electoral strongholds at West Roxbury, Dorchester and South Boston, where Essaibi George’s support is strong, as opposed to new areas where residents have tried. set the city’s agenda, on the plains of Jamaica and Roslindale, where Wu has dominated.
In recent weeks, Wu has garnered the support of several well-known political figures, including Sheriff Steven Tompkins, State Representative Aaron Michlewitz, and City Councilwoman Lydia Edwards.
Essaibi George has strong support among public safety groups and a superPAC that was recently formed on his behalf has already spent half a million dollars in supporting his campaign. SuperPACs are independent entities that can spend unlimited amounts on behalf of a candidate as long as they do not coordinate with the campaign. The superPAC pro-Essaibi George was organized by former police commissioner William Gross and has received donations from police unions and Jim Davis, the president of New Balance who also donated a large amount to former President Donald Trump.
Essaibi George has tried to distance himself from the superPAC.
Support was palpable for both candidates on Tuesday as they exposed supporters to the voting actions. Wu’s team sent a large truck with a screen fixed to the side playing a video of Senator Elizabeth Warren, who supported Wu’s campaign, urging residents to vote.
At Jackson Mann School in Allston, Zach Sheola, 23, said his vote was for Wu.
“I like their climate plans. . . and her traffic plans, “said Sheola, who is pursuing a master’s degree in social work at Boston College.” Besides, she’s the best candidate in housing. “
He added: “I really care about progressive and left-wing politics. So I’m looking for candidates who really care about the well-being of Bostonians. “
Mary Beth Marciano, 67, voted Tuesday at noon in City Hall for Essaibi George.
“I think he’s a moderate person and I think that’s what we need,” he said. “We have too many people too left and we have too many people too right.”
He added: “I think it will take care of everyone’s interests.”
In Venice, Leslie Seabury, a resident of south Boston, arrived early. The large banquet hall was adorned with balloons and Essaibi’s distinctive pink, black, and white campaign posters, in several languages.
“It is great. . . it’s real, “Seabury said, adding,” I’m delighted with your candidacy. “
Earlier in the day, Nicki Kobacker reflected on the timing of the story, as she voted at the Condon Community Center in South Boston and expressed optimism that the city would see a change from the network of nepotism and good for a long time permeated the political scene of the city.
“That’s really exciting for Boston,” he said. “For how many years, is it:‘ Is he the Irish boy or the Italian ’? . . You get the feeling that Boston is joining the rest of the world. ”
Globe staff Danny McDonald, Stephanie Ebbert, Meghan Irons, Tonya Alanez, Dugan Arnett, Laura Crimaldim and Emma Platoff, and Globe correspondent Julia Carlin contributed to this report.
Milton J. Valencia can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @miltonvalencia.