BOSTON (WHDH) - Boston City Council President Kim Janey is likely to assume the role of mayor if Martin J. Walsh heads to DC to be the next Labor Secretary for the Biden-Harris Administration.
Walsh has been tapped for the role of Labor Secretary, meaning that Janey would serve as acting mayor until an election for the position is held in Boston.
Janey grew up in the Highland Park area of Roxbury currently serves as District 7 City Councilor, which includes most of Roxbury and parts of the South End, Dorchester and Fenway.
She is a founding board member of the voting rights group MassVOTE and has previously served on the executive committee of the Boston branch of the NAACP.
Some of her priority issues include education, housing, small business development and civic engagement.
She would not be the first council president to serve as acting mayor — in 1993, Tom Menino filled the role when President Clinton appointed then-Mayor Ray Flynn ambassador to the Vatican. Menino would go on to win five more terms.
Thursday night, Janey congratulated Walsh in a statement saying in part:
“Should he be confirmed, I’m ready to take the reins and lead our city through these difficult times. I look forward to working w/ the Walsh administration and my colleagues on the Council to ensure a smooth transition, as we address the unprecedented challenges facing our city.”
Councilor At-Large Michelle Wu and District 4 Councilor Andrea Campbell have launched campaigns for mayor.
Janey would make history as the first woman and first Black person to serve as mayor of Boston if Walsh leaves his post.
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