
Arroyo celebrates win at Guira & Tambora in Roslindale. Photo by Robert Orthman.
Ricardo Arroyo, son of one former city councilor and brother of another, is looking like he'll be replacing Tim McCarthy in Hyde Park, Roslindale and Mattapan, while Liz Breadon is defeating Craig Cashman in Allston/Brighton in the race to replace Mark Ciommo.
Although the results of the four at-large seats are not yet set, it looks like 8 of the council's 13 seats will soon be held by women, the first time women have made up a majority on the council and a far cry from just seven years ago, when then at-large Councilor Ayanna Pressley was the only woman member. Tonight's results also mean that 7 of the councilors will be people of color, in a city that is now majority minority.
Incumbent at-large councilors Michael Flaherty, Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi-George look to maintain their seats - with Wu in a solid first place, so the Wu-for-mayor bandwagon picks up some speed. The fourth seat, which perennial candidate Althea Garrison took over when Pressley went to Washington, looks to be a close one between challengers Julia Mejia and Alejandra St. Guillen - the city says just 10 votes separate them.
St. Guillen called for a recount.
Sorry, Althea, it's back to yearly campaigns for you (and she's looking like she'll come in seventh, so no more moving up should another at-large councilor depart).
A non-binding citywide referendum on changing the name of Dudley Square to Nubian Square lost citywide but won in Roxbury.
Arroyo's win breaks Readville's stranglehold on the district. Arroyo, making his first bid for elective office, promised a more progressive platform for the seat. His father, Felix, and brother, also named Felix, had previously served as at-large councilors.

Breadon, a longtime Oak Square activist and physical therapist, was making her first bid for office. She announced her campaign even before Ciommo had announced his retirement, saying the district needed a councilor who would be more active in ensuring the neighborhood and its current residents needed protection in the onslaught of development that is sweeping across the district.
In District 4 (Dorchester), incumbent Andrea Campbell defeated challenger Jeff Durham.
In District 7 (Roxbury), incumbent Kim Janey defeated perennial homophobe Roy Owens.
In District 8 (Fenway, Back Bay, Mission Hill, Beacon Hill), Kenzie Bok will take over for the retiring Josh Zakim, defeating challenger Jennifer Nassour. Bok had won more than 50% of the vote in the September primary.
The remaining district races were uncontested, meaning councilors Lydia Edwards (District 1), Ed Flynn (District 2), Frank Baker (District 3) and Matt O'Malley (District 6) were re-elected.
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Comments
About naming streets etc after MLK
By redbaron
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 1:15pm
I read where in Kansas City MO., the voters voted AGAINST naming a stretch of road called
"The Paseo' after MLK. The city council in January 2019 voted 8-4 in favor of changing name to MLK Drive. But voters overturned it yesterday by a vote of 70% to 30%.
Not a bad choice MLK, but they don't want change.
How was the naming proposal developed?
By Bob Leponge
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 5:43pm
Isn't that (now defunct) business the root of the naming proposal? There's ample precedent in naming squares after businesses: Times Square comes to mind.
And what’s that tall building by Times Square?
By Waquiot
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 9:26pm
I believe it is the New York Times Building.
Now, if they want to rename Columbus Square the Journal American Square, you’d have a point.
Elma Lewis Square would be my choice
By Ron Newman
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 10:14pm
More meaningful locally than 'Nubian', and there's nothing else named after her that I know of. (Melnea Cass already has a Boulevard.)
Why not name it after an
By anon
Thu, 11/07/2019 - 8:48am
Why not name it after an economic entity that serviced the public, was used a locator to the area ?
Ferdinand's Blue Store : 2260 Washington Street, corner Warren, established 1869.
https://cdm.bostonathenaeum.org/digital/collection...
It’s frightening to see how
By Carmella
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 9:27am
It’s frightening to see how low this city has sunk. We’ve elected a city council, the majority of which does not believe in any form of self-accountability. They only believe in the state. What’s horrifying is that even if these people lost, the also-rans were just as bad. Families and middle-class jobs driven from the city have left us with this. It’s really sad to see what has happened to Boston. I wonder what statue this council will choose as the first to be removed.
please explain further?
By Ron Newman
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 9:30am
Can you provide some examples of this? I do not really understand what you are referring to here.
[quote] We’ve elected a city council, the majority of which does not believe in any form of self-accountability.[/quote]
No Examples
By Carmella
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 9:39am
I won’t be providing any examples.
Of course
By fungwah
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 9:48am
And even if you never have any examples to point to, we can look forward to you complaining about it on every semi-related article for the next 18 months anyway.
Majestic
By erik g
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 10:36am
"Look at these candidates we chose! The city has self-evidently sunk into moral and spiritual depravity, and won't someone please think of the children?"
"Uh... can you give me an example of what you're talking about? Doesn't have to be a scholarly article or anything, we're just wondering what the hell you're on about this time."
"No."
Bookmarked for the next time you demand explanation of, well, anything.
I never receive explanations
By Carmella
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 11:17am
I never receive explanations or examples, but I’m expected to explain each word I choose? Please.
OK Boomer
By anon
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 12:47pm
OK Boomer
Do you ever ask for citations?
By Neal
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 1:59pm
Or do you just prefer to complain without giving a valid reason because it makes you feel better about yourself?
No accountability for this comment
By registeredUser2
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 11:17am
Gone are the days people can anonymously comment gobbledygook in internet comment sections without accountability for their erroneous comments. You have been called out for providing no examples and complaining about nothing.
Exhibit A
By Anon
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 9:58am
Rent control.
Q
By bulgingbuick
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 3:44pm
Q is the answer....deep state...pizza...Hillary....
Uh...
By Dot net
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 9:40am
I'm not aware of any statue removal stances that were big this council election cycle. Or any evidence of anything you just typed. It's frightening to see how paranoid some voters have sunk.
Wasn’t there a question on
By Carmella
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 9:45am
Wasn’t there a question on the ballot to change the name of Dudley Square?
What's that have to do with the city council candidates?
By fungwah
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 9:47am
They're not the ones who put it on there. Heck, I don't even think any of them took a public stance on the question one way or another.
Give it some time. You’ll be
By Carmella
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 9:49am
Give it some time. You’ll be hearing how we have to rid the city of all things that are “Old Bostonâ€.
Oh I get it now. You are mad
By Kinopio
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 9:54am
Oh I get it now. You are mad many of the councilors aren’t old white men.
Yes, that’s it. I like
By Carmella
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 10:01am
Yes, that’s it. I like nothing but old, white men.
I voted for Althea Garrison
By Carmella
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 10:06am
I voted for Althea Garrison and Flaherty.
Five Car Flaherty and nutty
By Kinopio
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 12:11pm
Five Car Flaherty and nutty Althea. Not surprising.
like you?
By Robert
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 10:05am
cant wait.
How dare you!
By Carmella
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 10:06am
How dare you!
If people who are alive and
By anon
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 10:23am
If people who are alive and live here now want things to change or evolve to suit their needs, how is that a bad thing? Why should we be stuck with the way things were?
what does that have to do with statues?
By Ron Newman
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 9:59am
Is there a statue of Dudley in Dudley Square? (Serious question -- I have never really looked for one.)
I don’t think there is. I don
By Carmella
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 10:04am
I don’t think there is. I don’t know who Dudley was, but many years ago, someone saw fit to immortalize his memory by naming this square after him. I assume it was either voted on by the people or the politicians who were voted in by these people. I think it would be disrespectful to those people to steal their vote from them, even if that vote was cast so many years ago.
Right?
By Marco
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 10:20am
Those statues of Stalin should still be standing in Russia. Those snowflakes tearing them down just didn't contextualize his dark humor in starving his own people.
Disrespect is sometimes appropriate
By Bob Leponge
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 10:35am
I have no problem with us having “stolen their vote†by reversing those who voted in the past to make legal slavery the law of the land, or to deny women the vote, or to criminalize the sale of beer, or to forbid dark skinned people from sitting in the front half of the bus, or to incarcerate innocent American citizens because they were of Japanese ancestry...
Then shut the fuck up
By Kaz
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 2:55pm
These dead people were robbed of their vote...
By bulgingbuick
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 3:51pm
and to top it off, that commie Lincoln freed the slaves and ruined Dudley's business. Now I get why he was "immortalized in memory".
Wikipedia:
By Carmella
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 10:07am
Wikipedia:
It is named after Thomas Dudley, a colonial magistrate who served several terms as governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
I live in District 5 but did
By redheadedjen
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 10:27am
I live in District 5 but did not vote for Arroyo mainly because I don't like legacies like Bush, Clinton, Kennedy.
Based on the at-large voting, Wu would probably do well against Walsh, should she decide to run.
I think you’re correct.
By Carmella
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 10:30am
I think you’re correct.
Maybe no Wu
By Frankmab7
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 3:39pm
Wu is 95 percent running I would say . However , the City Hall machine carries couple thousand votes towards Walsh aka if he looses people could be out of jobs plus spouses and kids votes add toward that if it’s low turn out in two years . What we have is a lot of rich well financed professionals in the City who could be bored of being successful in the private sector and Might decide to run for Mayor as well (NYC Bloomberg type) .
That’s a big downside for the Mayor is he is pushing his old neighbors out when he pushes big rich developments as well because the people moving into the Seaport don’t work at city hall , police , BPS. There’s no old loyalties these days , when big new money moves in. For record I grew up in City lived there whole life just moved to Norfolk , and I was surprised while having beer at local pub that the locals and surrounding are gettung yuppified with everything going on in the city ( took a jab at the guy saying his kids and buddies pushed me out lol). It’s a big regional problem going on.
Watch who becomes BSC President
By Coolio7
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 3:53pm
If I was to bet There definitely will be some infighting going on I would say given How Leilling wants to take on City Hall and Walsh . This could put a damper in Wu ambitions especially if it’s a minority or another women claim the throne. If Mayor leaves in term. City councilor president becomes Mayor aka How we got 20 years of Menino
What crimes does this one
By Carmella
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 10:29am
What crimes does this one specialize in?
City Council is a pointless exercise in democracy
By registeredUser2
Wed, 11/06/2019 - 11:31am
In a town where the mayor does everything and has little accountability, what does the city council do or what can they do to impact our lives? In the past few years I can only think of rent control as an issue that has come up that they can actually do something about.
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