Wu vs. Kraft tries to stay local in the Trump era

Between the lines: No one would claim the race has captured the rapt attention of Bostonians in 2025, who are more likely to tune into news about Harvard's struggles with the president or how the state economy will survive with reduced medical and life science research.

The big picture: Kraft's campaign has consistently hammered Wu's style of City Hall leadership as out-of-touch and unwilling to hear feedback from residents, business owners and anyone else not already on the mayor's side.

• Playing defense hasn't been hard for Wu. Trump has made it a good year to be an experienced progressive in Massachusetts, especially when the alternative is an untested centrist and billionaire's son like Kraft.

Zoom in: Both Kraft and Wu have campaigned on the biggest issue facing the city: affordability and our absurd cost of living.

• But much of the daily tit-for-tat between the candidates has been pettifogging over bike lanes, public drug use, campaign finances and not one, but two, soccer stadium projects.

Reality check: Polls suggest Wu has a commanding lead, perhaps as much as a 60%-30% advantage over Kraft.

The bottom line: The preliminary election results could shift things around.

• If Kraft outperforms expectations and lands within striking distance of Wu, it would re-energize his campaign and make the final two months of the race pivotal.

What's next: Voters go to the polls Sept. 9 to narrow the field of four (two lesser-known contenders are also in the race) down to the top two.

• The head-to-head election is Nov. 4.