Boston City Council candidates make their final pitch

The big picture: The council has grappled with dysfunction and controversy — most recently, former councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson's indictment on federal kickback charges.

• It also has a growing list of challenges to tackle, including budget concerns and questions about broad-daylight drug use around Mass. and Cass.

Reality check: Having a strong-mayor government in Massachusetts means the city council can't unilaterally approve major laws.

• The council's chief role beyond providing constituent services is to work with, or against, the mayor's influential agenda.

The incumbents

Endorsements have piled up for City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, Julia Mejia, Henry Santana and Erin Murphy.

• All have the backing of various labor unions.
• Murphy, often a moderate voice on the council, has widespread support from both the trades and law enforcement.

The odds: Louijeune, the first Haitian-American council president, is all but guaranteed to win reelection, with her relationship with Mayor Michelle Wu's allies and her growing influence among Boston's power players.

• Of the four incumbents, Santana reportedly faces the highest risk of being unseated, having raised the least funding.

Louijeune says she's juggled the city's large policy issues with the day-to-day work of addressing complaints about trash pickup, rodents and other constituents' concerns — and is prepared to do the same if reelected.

• 1 policy priority: Increasing affordable housing.

Mejia, now the city's longest-serving at-large city councilor, says she brings an independent voice to the council and isn't afraid to diverge from Wu on issues like the White Stadium renovation process.

• 1 policy priority: Governance, specifically increasing transparency and access to city government.

Neither Santana nor Murphy responded in time for this story.

The challengers

Perhaps the most familiar name is Frank Baker, the former District 3 city councilor from Dorchester, who is running after a stint consulting for UMass.

• Baker says he wants to bring an independent voice to the council, whose members he says often fall in line with Wu's priorities.
• He clashed with former councilors in the past, including Mejia and former Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, but Arroyo is long gone and Baker says he's focused on collaborating with councilors on the issues residents want addressed.

• 1 policy priority: Job training programs.

Marvin Mathelier, a veteran and owner of the Ula Cafe, would be new to public office, but says he would bring his experience serving in the military internationally to the role.

• 1 policy priority: Affordable housing.

Rachel Nicole Miselman, who would be the sole Republican on the council if elected, wants to bring an independent voice and for the city's DEI department and cabinet to respond better to hate crimes against Jews.

• 1 policy priority: She says stretches of downtown are becoming a second "methadone mile" where homelessness and drug use are becoming as rampant as it is along Cass. and Mass.

Alexandra Valdez, a Dominican native raised in Boston, works for the Wu administration as director of cultural affairs, which she says gives her intimate knowledge of city services.

• 1 policy priority: Improving education and early education for Boston residents.
• She supports a hybrid Boston Public Schools committee.

Neither Will Onuoha nor Yves Mary Jean responded to Axios' inquiries.