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Mayoral election in Boston, Massachusetts (2025)

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← 2021
2025 Boston elections
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Election dates
Filing deadline: May 20, 2025
Primary election: September 9, 2025
General election: November 4, 2025
Election stats
Offices up: Mayor
Total seats up: 1 (click here for other city elections)
Other municipal elections
U.S. municipal elections, 2025

Incumbent Michelle Wu ran unopposed for mayor of Boston, Massachusetts on November 4, 2025. Wu was the first incumbent mayor to do so in a general election since Thomas Menino in 1997.[1] The last incumbent mayor to lose a re-election bid was James Michael Curley in 1949.[2][3]

Wu and Josh Kraft defeated two other candidates in the nonpartisan primary on September 9, 2025. On September 11, 2025 Kraft announced that he was withdrawing from the race.[4]

On September 15, 2025, third-place primary candidate Domingos DaRosa requested a recount of the primary.[5] The recount determined that DaRosa did not receive the minimum of 3,000 votes that were required to make the ballot for the general election.

In the primary, Wu and Kraft led in media attention and campaign fundraising.[6] While mayoral elections in Boston are nonpartisan, Wu, Kraft, and Robert Cappucci all wrote that they were Democrats on their Organization Statements filed with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance.[7][8][9] DaRosa did not write a partisan affiliation.[10]

Wu was first elected in 2021, when she defeated Annissa Essaibi George 64%-35.6%. Before she was mayor, Wu was a member of the Boston City Council and an intern for former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.[11]

Kraft was the head of Kraft Family Philanthropies, former CEO of the Boys & Girls Club in Boston, former president of the New England Patriots Foundation, and the son of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.[12][13]

As of 2025, Boston did not have term limits for the position of mayor. Mayors served a four-year term.


This article covers the general election. For more information about the nonpartisan primary, click the link below:

September 9 nonpartisan primary

See also: Mayoral election in Boston, Massachusetts (2025) (September 9 nonpartisan primary)

Ballotpedia identified the September 9, nonpartisan primary as a battleground primary. For more on the primary, click here.


Incumbent Michelle Wu and Josh Kraft defeated two other candidates in the nonpartisan primary election for mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, on September 9, 2025. On Friday, September 12, Kraft withdrew from the race.[14] The general election was November 4, 2025

Wu was first elected in 2021, when she defeated Annissa Essaibi George 64%-35.6%. The last incumbent mayor to lose a re-election bid was James Michael Curley in 1949. [15][3]

Wu and Kraft led in media attention and campaign fundraising.[16] Robert Cappucci and Domingos DaRosa also ran. While mayoral elections in Boston are nonpartisan, Wu, Kraft, and Cappucci all wrote that they were Democrats on their Organization Statements filed with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance.[17][18][19] DaRosa did not write a partisan affiliation.[20]

On September 15, 2025, DaRosa requested a recount of the primary.[21] The recount determined that DaRosa did not receive the minimum of 3,000 votes that were required to make the ballot for the general election. As a result, Wu was is the first incumbent mayor to run unopposed in a general election since Thomas Menino did so in 1997.[22]

Wu was previously a member of the Boston City Council. She also worked for former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.[23] Wu ran on her record. Her campaign website said, "Since taking office, she has invested more in making housing affordable than any other administration in Boston’s history. In her first full year as mayor, gun violence fell to the lowest level on record—and has continued to fall every year since. She promised a summer job to every BPS student who wanted one—and delivered, and has expanded Universal Pre-K to serve more children and families than ever before."[24] U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D), U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D), and U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D) endorsed Wu.[25] As of August 31, Wu raised $1.8 million and spent $1.1 million.[26]

Kraft was the head of Kraft Family Philanthropies, former CEO of the Boys & Girls Club in Boston, former president of the New England Patriots Foundation, and the son of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.[27][28] Kraft's campaign website said, "I love this city, but I have serious concerns about its future and many issues need attention. Lack of access to housing that regular people can afford, which is forcing many people to leave the city. Boston Public Schools that are failing our kids and families. Poorly planned bike and bus lanes that are changing our neighborhood streets and creating gridlock all across the city. The humanitarian crisis and public safety concerns at Mass and Cass need to be addressed."[29] The International Longshoremen’s Association endorsed Kraft.[30] As of August 31, Kraft raised $6.8 million and spent $5.5 million.[26]

On May 15, a coalition of the city's Democratic Ward Committees hosted a candidate forum. Wu, Kraft, and DaRosa all participated.[31][32] During the forum, candidates spoke about housing, public transportation, public safety, the city's fiscal health, and the mayor's role in responding to the policies of the Trump Administration. Click here to watch the forum.

While Wu and Kraft both said they opposed the Trump Administration's immigration policies, they differed on several other issues, including housing, transportation, and the renovation of Boston's White Stadium.

Wu said her administration created more than 11,000 housing units, including 5,400 affordable units, with another 4,000 affordable units in progress, and implemented new affordability requirements.[31] Kraft said he would reverse the Wu administration requirements, which he said were blocking the construction of 26,000 housing units, increase the number of Boston residents who qualify for income-restricted housing units, and create an opt-in rent control plan that would include property tax breaks for participating landlords.[33][3]

Wu said she would prioritize reducing dependence on cars. Wu highlighted her record on public transportation, including working with the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority to eliminate slow zones, as well as increasing ridership with fare-free bus lines, installing speed humps, and using technology to reduce congestion.[24] Kraft said he wouldn't prioritize reducing dependence on cars and instead would focus on fixing roads and sidewalks, as well as temporarily pause bike lane construction to conduct an audit on the efficiency of proposed bike lanes.[34]

Another topic that the candidates differed on was the renovation of Boston's White Stadium. Wu had led the city's effort to renovate the stadium, calling it an investment "into Black and Brown communities, into our students, and into the Boston Public Schools." Wu also promoted an agreement between the city and Boston Legacy FC, a new professional women's soccer team, to share use of the stadium.[35] Kraft criticized the stadium renovation as too expensive, said he would cancel the contract with the soccer team, and create a new plan for the stadium "at a fraction of the cost."[35]

The filing deadline for this election was May 20, 2025.


Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Michelle Wu

Image of Michelle Wu

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: 

  • Mayor of Boston (Assumed office: 2021)
  • Boston City Council At-large (2014-2021)

Biography:  Wu earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard University in 2007 and a law degree from Harvard Law School in 2012. Before holding public office, she worked as in intern at Boston City Hall for former Mayor Tom Menino.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Wu ran on her record. On housing, her campaign website said, Wu "invested more in making housing affordable than any other administration in Boston’s history."

On public safety, Wu's campaign website said, "In her first full year as mayor, gun violence fell to the lowest level on record in the city—and has continued to fall every year since."

Wu's campaign website said she "promised a paid summer job to every BPS student who wanted one—and delivered, and has expanded Boston’s Pre-K and early education to serve more children and families than ever before." 

Show sources

Sources: Michelle Wu 2025 campaign website, "Home," accessed August 28, 2025; LinkedIn, "Michelle Wu," accessed August 28, 2025; Michelle Wu 2025 campaign website, "Meet Michelle," accessed August 28, 2025

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Boston in 2025.

Josh Kraft

Image of Josh Kraft

WebsiteFacebookX

Incumbent: No

Biography:  Kraft earned a bachelor's degree from Williams College in 1989 and a master’s in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Kraft was the head of Kraft Family Philanthropies, former CEO of the Boys & Girls Club in Boston, former president of the New England Patriots Foundation, and the son of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Kraft's campaign website said, "I love this city, but I have serious concerns about its future and many issues need attention." His website listed housing, public schools, proposed bike and bus lanes, and the intersection of Melnea Cass Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue as issues needing attention.

On housing, Kraft said he would reverse Wu administration requirements, which he said were preventing the construction of more housing units, increase the number of Boston residents who qualify for income-restricted housing units, and create an opt-in rent control plan.

On transportation, Kraft said he would focus on fixing roads and sidewalks, as well as temporarily pause and audit bike lane construction.

Show sources

Sources: Boston.com, "Mayoral race primer: What to know about the issues that divide Wu and Kraft," April 8, 2025; Josh Kraft 2025 campaign website, "Josh Kraft on Policy," accessed August 28, 2025; Josh Kraft 2025 campaign website, "Housing Access & Affordability Plan," accessed August 28, 2025; Josh Kraft 2025 campaign website, "Josh’s Plan to Improve a Transportation System Stuck in the Past for a City Ready to Move Forward," accessed August 28, 2025; Josh Kraft 2025 campaign website, "About Josh Kraft," accessed August 28, 2025; NBC Boston, "Your guide to the 2025 Boston mayoral election," August 15, 2025

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Boston in 2025.


See more

See more here: Mayoral election in Boston, Massachusetts (2025) (September 9 nonpartisan primary)

Elections

Click on the tabs below to show more information about those topics.

Candidates and results

General election

General election for Mayor of Boston

Incumbent Michelle Wu won election in the general election for Mayor of Boston on November 4, 2025.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Michelle Wu
Michelle Wu (Nonpartisan)
 
93.2
 
78,997
 Other/Write-in votes
 
6.8
 
5,725

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 84,722
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of Boston

Incumbent Michelle Wu and Josh Kraft defeated Domingos DaRosa and Robert Cappucci in the primary for Mayor of Boston on September 9, 2025.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Michelle Wu
Michelle Wu (Nonpartisan)
 
90.4
 
66,859
✔
Image of Josh Kraft
Josh Kraft (Nonpartisan)
 
3.3
 
2,428
Image of Domingos DaRosa
Domingos DaRosa (Nonpartisan)
 
3.3
 
2,409
Image of Robert Cappucci
Robert Cappucci (Nonpartisan)
 
2.8
 
2,091
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.3
 
201

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source

Total votes: 73,988
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Additional elections on the ballot

See also: Massachusetts elections, 2025

What's on your ballot?
Click here to find out!

September 9, 2025
November 4, 2025

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

No candidate in this race completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Michelle Wu

Image of Michelle Wu

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: 

  • Mayor of Boston (Assumed office: 2021)
  • Boston City Council At-large (2014-2021)

Biography:  Wu earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard University in 2007 and a law degree from Harvard Law School in 2012. Before holding public office, she worked as in intern at Boston City Hall for former Mayor Tom Menino.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Wu ran on her record. On housing, her campaign website said, Wu "invested more in making housing affordable than any other administration in Boston’s history."

On public safety, Wu's campaign website said, "In her first full year as mayor, gun violence fell to the lowest level on record in the city—and has continued to fall every year since."

Wu's campaign website said she "promised a paid summer job to every BPS student who wanted one—and delivered, and has expanded Boston’s Pre-K and early education to serve more children and families than ever before." 

Show sources

Sources: Michelle Wu 2025 campaign website, "Home," accessed August 28, 2025; LinkedIn, "Michelle Wu," accessed August 28, 2025; Michelle Wu 2025 campaign website, "Meet Michelle," accessed August 28, 2025

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Boston in 2025.

Mayoral partisanship

See also: Partisanship in United States municipal elections (2025)

Twenty-seven of the 100 largest cities held mayoral elections in 2025. Once mayors elected in 2025 assumed office, 67 top-100 mayors were affiliated with the Democratic Party, 22 were Republicans, one was a Libertarian, three were independents, and five were nonpartisan. Two mayors' partisan affiliations were unknown.

The following top 100 cities saw a change in mayoral partisan affiliation in 2025.


Help inform our readers

Take our candidate survey

See also: Survey

At Ballotpedia, we believe that everyone deserves meaningful, reliable, trustworthy information about their candidates. We also know that good information—especially at the local level—is hard to find. That's why Ballotpedia created Candidate Connection.

We ask all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Our survey helps voters better understand how their candidates think about the world and how they intend to govern—information they need to feel confident they're picking the best person for the role.

If you are a candidate, take our survey here. Or you can ask a candidate to take the survey by sharing the link with them.

Submit endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

Endorsements can be particularly helpful for voters trying to decide between candidates in local races, which often feature nonpartisan candidates. Endorsements from individuals and organizations can help voters better understand policy differences between candidates in these cases where little or no other news coverage of policy stances exists.

Candidates, share endorsements here. Readers, share endorsements you know about here.

About the city

See also: Boston, Massachusetts

Boston is the capital of Massachusetts. As of 2020, its population was 675,647.

City government

See also: Mayor-council government

The city of Boston uses a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body and the mayor serves as the city's chief executive.

Demographics

The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.

Demographic Data for Boston, Massachusetts
Boston Massachusetts
Population 675,647 7,029,917
Land area (sq mi) 48 7,800
Race and ethnicity**
White 52.1% 76.6%
Black/African American 24.2% 7.5%
Asian 9.8% 6.8%
Native American 0.3% 0.2%
Pacific Islander 0.1% 0%
Other (single race) N/A 4.2%
Multiple 7.2% 4.8%
Hispanic/Latino 19.5% 12%
Education
High school graduation rate 87.9% 91.1%
College graduation rate 51.3% 44.5%
Income
Median household income $76,298 $84,385
Persons below poverty level 18% 9.8%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


2025 battleground elections

See also: Battlegrounds

This was a battleground election. Other 2025 battleground elections included:

See also

Boston, Massachusetts Massachusetts Municipal government Other local coverage
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Associated Press, "Boston Mayor Wu will run unopposed in her reelection bid after challenger’s recount bid falls short," September 22, 2025
  2. ↑ CBS News, "Keller: Wu looks to play "Trump card" against Kraft, who has an uphill climb in the polls," July 30, 2025
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Boston.com, "Mayoral race primer: What to know about the issues that divide Wu and Kraft," April 8, 2025
  4. ↑ WCVB, "Josh Kraft ends campaign for Boston mayor: Exclusive NewsCenter 5 interview," September 11, 2025
  5. ↑ Boston.com,"Hoping to join Wu on ballot, third-place mayoral candidate pursues recount," September 16, 2025
  6. ↑ Welcome to the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, "Mayoral Depository Year-to-Date Reports," accessed August 26, 2025
  7. ↑ Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, "Michelle Wu Candidate Committee Organization Statement," accessed August 28, 2025
  8. ↑ Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, "Josh Kraft Candidate Committee Organization Statement," accessed August 28, 2025
  9. ↑ Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, "Robert Cappucci Candidate Committee Organization Statement," accessed August 28, 2025
  10. ↑ Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, "Domingos DaRosa Candidate Committee Organization Statement," accessed August 28, 2025
  11. ↑ Washington Post, "Michelle Wu makes history as first person of color and woman to be elected Boston mayor," November 3, 2021
  12. ↑ NBC Boston, "Your guide to the 2025 Boston mayoral election," August 15, 2025
  13. ↑ Josh Kraft 2025 campaign website, "About Josh Kraft,' accessed August 27, 2025
  14. ↑ WCVB, "Josh Kraft's exit clears path for Mayor Wu's likely reelection in Boston," September 12, 2025
  15. ↑ CBS News, "Keller: Wu looks to play "Trump card" against Kraft, who has an uphill climb in the polls," July 30, 2025
  16. ↑ Welcome to the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, "Mayoral Depository Year-to-Date Reports," accessed August 26, 2025
  17. ↑ Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, "Michelle Wu Candidate Committee Organization Statement," accessed August 28, 2025
  18. ↑ Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, "Josh Kraft Candidate Committee Organization Statement," accessed August 28, 2025
  19. ↑ Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, "Robert Cappucci Candidate Committee Organization Statement," accessed August 28, 2025
  20. ↑ Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, "Domingos DaRosa Candidate Committee Organization Statement," accessed August 28, 2025
  21. ↑ Boston.com,"Hoping to join Wu on ballot, third-place mayoral candidate pursues recount," September 16, 2025
  22. ↑ Associated Press, "Boston Mayor Wu will run unopposed in her reelection bid after challenger’s recount bid falls short," September 22, 2025
  23. ↑ Washington Post, "Michelle Wu makes history as first person of color and woman to be elected Boston mayor," November 3, 2021
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Michelle Wu 2025 campaign website, "Meet Michelle," accessed August 27, 2025
  25. ↑ Michelle Wu 2025 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed August 27, 2025
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, "Mayoral Depository Year-to-Date Reports," accessed September 25, 2025
  27. ↑ NBC Boston, "Your guide to the 2025 Boston mayoral election," August 15, 2025
  28. ↑ Josh Kraft 2025 campaign website, "About Josh Kraft,' accessed August 27, 2025
  29. ↑ Josh Kraft 2025 campaign website, 'Josh Kraft on Policy," accessed August 27, 2025
  30. ↑ Boston Herald, "Josh Kraft scores first major endorsement in his bid for Boston mayor," March 19, 2025
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 YouTube, "Boston Democratic Ward Coalition 2025 Mayoral Debate," May 15, 2025
  32. ↑ Boston.com, "Boston mayoral race: 5 takeaways from the first candidate forum as Wu and Kraft meet onstage," May 19, 2025
  33. ↑ Josh Kraft 2025 campaign website, "Housing Access & Affordability Plan," accessed August 27, 2025
  34. ↑ Josh Kraft, 'Josh’s Plan to Improve a Transportation System Stuck in the Past for a City Ready to Move Forward," accessed August 27, 2025
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 MassLive, "White Stadium has taken over Boston’s mayoral race. Here’s what the candidates have to say," August 18, 2025
  36. ↑ KETV, "John Ewing Jr.'s historic inauguration as Omaha's mayor," June 10, 2025
  37. ↑ Garland, Texas, "Dylan Hedrick Returns to City Hall as Garland's 38th Mayor," June 18, 2025
  38. ↑ New York Times, "Miami Elects First Democratic Mayor in Nearly 30 Years," December 9, 2025
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