At a candidate forum last night, two candidates for the District 5 (Roslindale, Mattapan, Hyde Park) city-council seat - Ricardo Arroyo and Mimi Turchinetz - repeatedly proclaimed themselves progressives who would go far beyond constituent services and help other progressives on the council tackle issues from systemic racism to the climate crisis.

Maria Esdale Farrell, who works as an education aide to current Councilor Tim McCarthy, said idealism is all well and good but that she would largely stick to McCarthy's current focus on bread-and-butter local issues, such as potholes and crime. Alkia Powell, who currently works in the Mayor's Office of Economic Development, agreed with Arroyo and Turchinetz - and Farrell - on many issues, but did not call herself a progressive. Read more.