2 Dozen Candidates Elbow for Room in Mayor’s Race
Five weeks ago, there was one declared candidate for mayor. John Connolly had his run of the city while current Mayor Tom Menino weighed his future. Now, fully two dozen men and women have pulled nomination papers for the mayor’s race. A map of the current list of candidates finds some familiar patterns: Most candidates live toward south and center of the city, matching the city’s overall population density. But that means candidates who live a mere blocks apart will tussle over the same turf and base of voter support. There are 11 candidates from Dorchester, four from Hyde Park, three from Roxbury, two from Roxbury and one each from East Boston, Jamaica Plain and Mission Hill. The top two vote-getters in the primary will move on to the final. The Boston Herald’s Peter Gelzinis called this a “shootout in a lifeboat” for some off the major candidates, who need a reliable base of support as they reach out for voters in other parts of town. If the 11 Dorchester candidates break up the neighborhood’s massive voting bloc, that means the top-two candidates need fewer votes to make the finals. That’s a boost for small-neighborhood candidates like JP’s Felix Arroyo and Mission Hill’s Mike Ross. There may be more candidates; they have until May 13 to pull papers. After that, the hopefuls have until May 21 to collect signatures and file them with the city. That process will likely winnow the field down by a few names. South End Patch
Does Menino Rank as One of Boston’s Greatest Mayors?
Mayor Thomas Menino will not seek a sixth term, according to at-large Boston politics journalist David Bernstein. Menino reportedly told Fox 25 this morning that it was a tough decision to make. So ends the longest mayorship in Boston history, and one of the longest in American history (To give you some perspective, long-time Chicago Mayor and political boss Richard J. Daley served 21 years and his son Richard M. Daley has currently served 24 years). But does a long career guarantee a spot in the Boston mayoral Hall of Fame, like Carlton Fisk’s long career landed him in Cooperstown? Or has Mayor Menino’s accomplishments guaranteed him a slot on the short list of Boston’s greatest mayors? There are 53 elected mayors in the city’s history, but the conversation of “best mayor” usually starts with James Michael Curley, known as “The Rascal King” and who famously served part of his term while in jail. Other contenders include John “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald (that’s where the F in JFK comes from. Fitzgerald was John, Robert and Edward’s grandfather) and Kevin White. What do you think? Was Menino the best mayor in the city’s history? Or was his 20 years a dark period for the city? And legacies aside, does “Hizzonna” rank as one of the all-time great nicknames next to “Rascal King” and “Honey Fitz?” Tell us your thoughts in the comments below. South End Patch