Mayor Marty Walsh’s likely challenger may be ramping up spending, but hizzoner still won’t say whether he’s actually planning on running again.
“My top priority is doing everything we can to make Boston a healthy and equitable place that works for everyone — from guiding our response to COVID-19 to our efforts around racial justice to affordable housing,” Walsh said through his campaign. “There’s more work for us to do to keep Boston moving forward and I am dedicated to lifting our city up.”
The Herald had posed the question to Walsh once again in light of the news Friday that City Councilor Michelle Wu, long seen as a very likely mayoral challenger, began cranking up her campaign spending in August on ads, video and research.
According to state campaign finance data, Wu last month spent $20,000 on “campaign emails/digital ads buy;” $15,000 on “campaign video production services;” $6,000 on “candidate research;” and $2,500 on “monthly campaign ad retainer.”
Several political operatives said these appear to be the machinations of a candidate gearing up for a mayoral challenge. The $15,000 is likely a campaign announcement video, and the $6,000 is the normal self-aimed opposition research a candidate does before a big run, strategists said.
Wu on Friday referred comment about the expenditures to spokeswoman Jessicah Pierre, who said in a statement, that “each one of us should be asking ourselves how we can make a difference in strengthening our communities and fighting for change that matches the scale and urgency of our current challenges.”
Walsh, the 53-year-old Dorchester resident, has declined on numerous occasions to say whether he’ll be running again — even though he announced his intentions to run for his first re-election a full year earlier in the four-year term than he’s at now. The general mayoral election will be in November 2021, with the preliminary election for the race next September.
That’s helped fuel the now-frequent buzz in Boston politics that Walsh could be in line for a Cabinet position if his friend Joe Biden wins the November presidential election — something like Secretary of Labor for the former union boss.
If Walsh leaves, Council President Kim Janey would become acting mayor, and the essentially open seat would be expected to draw a large crowd of competitive candidates.
If Walsh, a generally popular two-term mayor, does opt to run, he’d be a formidable incumbent and currently has a $5.2 million war chest.
Wu, a 35-year-old Roslindale resident, had $346,000 cash on hand as of the start of the month, per the OCPF filing.
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Marty Walsh still mum on whether he’s running for re-election - Boston Herald
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