If Frank Baker runs again next year, he'll have competition

Joel Richards, who ran unsuccessfully for City Council in District 4 last year, announced today he'll be running again, but this time in District 3, because redistricting means he now lives in that district.

District 3 is represented by Frank Baker.

A group of mainly South Boston and Dorchester residents has sued the city over the changes made by the City Council to reflect population changes in the 2020 federal Census - arguing that District 3 in particular was unfairly drawn to exclude White residents and is now a sort of serpentine district, rather than the "compact" one it was before redistricting. The city recently moved to have the suit transferred to federal court, because the complaint alleges violations of the federal Voting Rights Act and the plaintiff's right to equal treatment under the Constitution.

Richards is a BPS teacher, a pastor and a father of two. He is a past president of Fields Corner Main Streets and sits on the board of Little Saigon.

I've seen how inequality pervades our society and creates barriers for so many. But I’ve also seen through scripture the inherent good in all of us and our ability to address these issues. But when fractured politics and personal quibbles get in the way, we lose our vision and we do not do justice for the city of Boston. We need a unified council that acts with the urgency and efficiency that the problems affecting our working families require.