BOSTON (WHDH) - Boston residents hit the polls Saturday as early voting began for the preliminary mayoral election.
Voters have a five-way race, with Acting Mayor Kim Janey, who took over the position after Marty Walsh left to become Secretary of Labor; city councilors Andrea Campbell, Annissa Essaibi-George and Michelle Wu; and former Walsh cabinet member John Barros all vying for the spot. Early voting runs through Sept. 10 with Election Day taking place on Sept. 14, and the top two candidates will square off again in November.
Janey greeted supporters in Mattapan and told them she wants to continue the work she’s started.
“We need a full term to make sure we can do the work … and we’ve got to continue this work together,” Janey said. “We can’t go back to the way things were.”
Wu has been leading the race according to several polls, but said she’s not taking anything for granted.
“Our job is to make sure that people realize that the September preliminary election is just as important as the November final election,” Wu said. “At the end of the day this is a moment we’ve been building for, making sure people are coming out, coming together and setting Boston on a path for a brighter future.”
Essaibi-George said she was going to pound the pavement over the final week and a half before the preliminary.
“The momentum we’re getting from our residents as we knock doors and we’ll continue to knock doors over the next 10 days … I’m absolutely excited about my run for mayor and the work that I will do to lead this city,” Essaibi-George said.
Although Campbell said she also felt she had momentum behind her candidacy.
“I feel really confident where we are. We’re getting out here every single day in every neighborhood … and we just can’t slow down. I tell the team we feel the momentum, we have to continue the momentum,” Campbell said.
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