Boston goes to the polls in Wu vs. Kraft mayoral race
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Wu photo: Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images; Kraft photo: David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images.
If recent polling holds true, Mayor Michelle Wu has a commanding advantage over challenger Josh Kraft heading into today's preliminary election for mayor.
Why it matters: Today's election narrows the four-candidate field to two finalists who will face off in November's general election.
- Wu and Kraft are almost certain to advance, but her margin of victory will tell if she's solidified her position with Boston voters despite Kraft's massive financial investment in his campaign.
- Former BPD officer Robert Cappucci and community organizer Domingos DaRosa are running in distant third and fourth places, according to polls.
Zoom in: Wu could have a 50-point lead going into prelim day. Last week's Emerson College poll showed her with 72% support against Kraft's 22% and 2% undecided.
- If those numbers are accurate, Wu's advantage grew from 30 points in July.
- According to the poll, the mayor leads across all demographic groups and age categories.
Behind the scenes: Kraft's campaign parted ways with top advisers Will Keyser and Eileen O'Connor last week over "strategic differences."
- The shakeup coincided with Kraft injecting another $3.5 million of his own money into the campaign.
- It's an unprecedented level of self-funding for a Boston mayoral race.
Driving the news: The backdrop of the election has been Boston's dealings with the federal government under President Trump.
- The Justice Department sued Boston last week over the city's sanctuary policies that limit police cooperation with immigration enforcement.
- Recent polling shows 67% of voters support Wu's stance to remain a "sanctuary city."
What's next: Polls are open from 7am to 8pm.
The bottom line: Despite Kraft's financial resources and name recognition as a son of Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Wu looks well-positioned to deliver a decisive preliminary victory.
- The November head-to-head will likely remain focused on the core issues of the race: housing, public safety, Wu's governing style and how to deal with the federal government.
- It'll be up to Kraft to relaunch his campaign in a way that resonates with voters if he hopes to close the gap and become competitive with Wu.