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The 2025 Boston City Council election was held on November 4, 2025. A non-partisan preliminary election was held on September 9, 2025, to narrow the field of qualified candidates for each seat to two candidates.[1] All 13 councillors from the nine districts and four councillors at-large were up for election. The election was held concurrently with the 2025 Boston mayoral election. Elections in Boston are officially nonpartisan.

Election schedule

Key dates relating to the election were as follows:

2025 Boston election schedule
August 30 Last day for registration for primary election
September 2 Last day to request mail ballot for primary election
September 9 Preliminary election
October 25 Last day for registration for general election
November 7 General election
Source[2]

Background

This election coincided with the 2025 Boston mayoral election with Incumbent Michelle Wu seeking re-election to a second term. All Members of the Boston City Council have been Democrats since the defeat of Independent At-Large Councilor Althea Garrison, who had automatically ascended to office after the resignation of former At-Large City Councilor Ayanna Pressley to take office as US Representative for Massachusetts’s 7th congressional district, by present incumbent Julia Mejia. As such the council is frequently defined as being divided into more Progressive members aligned with the Mayor and Moderate Members of the Council. The progressive members hold a majority and are generally considered to include Ruthzee Louijeune, Julia Mejia, Henry Santana, Gabriela Coletta Zapata, Brian Worrell, Enrique Pepen, and Ben Weber. The more moderate members of the Council are Erin Murphy, Ed Flynn, and John FitzGerald.

Ruthzee Louijeune, council president at the time of the election

At-large

There are four at-large city council seats. Voters in the election could choose up to four candidates, and the top four vote-getters will become the councilors.

Declared

  • Frank Baker, former District 3 councilor (2012–2024)[3]
  • Ruthzee Louijeune, incumbent at-large city councilor[4]
  • Marvin Mathelier, restauranteur[4]
  • Julia Mejia, incumbent at-large city councilor[4]
  • Erin Murphy, incumbent at-large city councilor[4]
  • Will Onuoha, director of the Mayor’s Office of Fair Housing and Equity[4]
  • Henry Santana, incumbent at-large city councilor[4]
  • Alexandra Valdez, director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs[4]

Eliminated in preliminary election

  • Yves Mary Jean
  • Rachel Miselman

Failed to qualify

  • Reggie Stewart, District 7 director of community relations[4]
  • Clifton Braithwaite, 2023 at-large city council candidate[5]

Results

Candidates Preliminary election[6] General election[7]
Votes % Votes %
Ruthzee Louijeune (i) 45,500 18.7 54,885 19.2
Julia M. Mejia (i) 42,245 17.4 47,770 16.7
Erin J. Murphy (i) 38,981 16.0 46,709 16.4
Henry A. Santana (i) 30,670 12.6 44,206 15.5
Frank K. Baker 26,240 10.8 28,526 10.0
Alexandra E. Valdez 18,930 7.8 23,468 8.2
Marvin Mathelier 13,826 5.7 21,101 7.4
Will Onuoha 11,216 4.6 17,540 6.2
Yves Mary Jean 7,419 3.0    
Rachel Miselman 7,134 2.9    
Write-in 988 0.4 1170 0.4
Total 243,149 100 285,375 100
Turnout 93,168 96,405

District 1

Declared

Eliminated in preliminary

  • Ricardo Rodriguez, realtor[5]

Results

Candidates Preliminary election[6] General election[8]
Votes % Votes %
Gabriela Coletta Zapata (i) 7,021 76.8 7,661 82.5
Andretti McDuffie-Stanziani 1,352 14.8 1,518 16.4
Ricardo Rodriguez 704 7.7    
Write-in 69 0.7 104 1.1
Total 9,146 100 9,283 100
Turnout 10,459 10,267

District 2

Declared

Eliminated in preliminary

Results

Candidates Preliminary election[6] General election[12]
Votes % Votes %
Ed Flynn (i) 8,250 86.4 8,660 86.6
Charles Delaney 629 6.6 1,214 12.1
Brian Foley 588 6.2    
Write-in 81 0.8 131 1.3
Total 9,548 100 10,005 100
Turnout 11,028 11,225

District 3

Declared

Results

Candidates General election[14]
Votes %
John FitzGerald (i) 7,904 98.0
Write-in 165 2.0
Total 8,069 100
Turnout 10,639

District 4

Declared

Eliminated in preliminary

Results

Candidates Preliminary election[6] General election[15]
Votes % Votes %
Brian Worrell (i) 5,773 81.4 6,331 84.4
Helen Cameron 817 11.5 1,119 14.9
Juwan Skeens 457 6.5    
Write-in 43 0.6 50 0.7
Total 7,090 100 7,500 100
Turnout 7,831 8,277

District 5

Declared

  • Enrique Pepen, incumbent city councilor[5]
  • Winston Pierre, former director of diversity for the City of Boston[5]

Eliminated in preliminary

  • Sharon Hinton, director of Black Teachers Matter[5]

Results

Candidates Preliminary election[6] General election[16]
Votes % Votes %
Enrique Pepen (i) 8,008 63.5 9,101 69.0
Winston Pierre 2,954 23.4 3,994 30.3
Sharon Hinton 1,586 12.6    
Write-in 55 0.4 103 0.8
Total 12,603 100 13,198 100
Turnout 14,022 14,482

District 6

Declared

Results

Candidates General election[17]
Votes %
Ben Weber (i) 13,020 86.3
Stephen Berry 1,894 12.5
Write-in 180 1.2
Total 15,094 100
Turnout 18,035

District 7

City councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson was first elected in 2021. In December 2024, Fernandes Anderson made national news when she was arrested on charges of corruption,[18] to which she pleaded guilty in May 2025.[19] Part of her plea deal was her resignation from the Boston City Council.[20][21]

Declared

  • Said Abdirahman Abdikarim, director of outreach for African Community Economic Development of New England (ACEDONE) and 2021 Boston City Council candidate[4]
  • Said Ahmed[4]
  • Mavrick Afonso, staffer of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and past city staffer[4][22]
  • Miniard Culpepper, pastor,[22] 2022 candidate for state senate in the 2nd Suffolk district,[23] and 2013 candidate for mayor[24]
  • Samuel Hurtado, former advisor to former acting mayor Kim Janey[4]

Eliminated in preliminary

Declined

Results

Candidates Preliminary election[6] General election[30]
Votes % Votes %
Miniard Culpepper 1,112 15.1 3,894 53.3
Said Coach Ahmed 1,170 15.8 3,305 45.2
Mavrick Afonso 1,087 14.7    
Samuel Hurtado 1,061 14.4    
Said Abdirahman Abdikarim 1,057 14.3    
Roy Owens 532 7.2    
Natalie Juba-Sutherland 467 6.3    
Wawa Bell 381 5.2    
Shawn Dwayne Nelson 228 3.1    
Jerome King 144 2.0    
Tchad Akilah Cort 122 1.7    
Write-in 21 0.2 87 1.2
Total 7,382 100 7,308 100
Turnout 8,111 7,989

District 8

Incumbent Sharon Durkan ran unopposed, as no other candidates filed by the deadline.[5]

Declared

Results

Candidates General election[31]
Votes %
Sharon Durkan (i) 4,898 96.0
Write-in 202 4.0
Total 5,100 100
Turnout 6,821

District 9

Declared

  • Liz Breadon, incumbent city councilor[32]
  • Pilar Ortiz, law department chief of staff for the City of Boston[32]

Results

Candidates General election[33]
Votes %
Liz Breadon (i) 5,478 68.2
Pilar Ortiz 2,485 31.0
Write-in 64 0.8
Total ‘8,027 100
Turnout 8,670

Notes

  1. ^ Officially nonpartisan
  2. ^ Roy Owens is considered a perennial candidate by Boston media.[25][26] He had run for office many times prior to 2025, including:[27][28]
  3. ^ Roy Owens Owens has previously worked as a teacher in Boston Public Schools and Cathedral High School[25]

References

  1. ^ Election | Boston.gov www.boston.gov. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
  2. ^ “2025 Election Calendar” (PDF). Boston.gov. January 2025. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  3. ^ Farrar, Molly. “Former Boston City Councilor Frank Baker to run for at-large seat”. www.boston.com.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l “Who’s running for Boston City Council? – The Bay State Banner”. baystatebanner.com.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Lavery, Trea (May 22, 2025). “Here’s who’s on the ballot for Boston mayor, City Council — so far”. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e f “Unofficial Election Results”. City of Boston. September 10, 2025. Retrieved September 10, 2025 – via boston.gov.
  7. ^ “2025-11-04-City-Councillor-at-Large.pdf” (PDF). Boston.gov. 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  8. ^ “CITY OF BOSTON – OFFICIAL GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION – NOVEMBER 4, 2025 CITY COUNCILLOR – DISTRICT 1” (PDF). Boston.gov. 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  9. ^ BALLOT POSITION DRAWING FOR PRELIMINARY MUNICIPAL ELECTION SEPTEMBER 9, 2025| Boston.gov www.boston.gov. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  10. ^ Griswold, Niki (January 11, 2025). “Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn decides against challenging Mayor Michelle Wu, opting to run for re-election to Council seat”. The Boston Globe. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  11. ^ Garrity, Kelly (December 18, 2024). “The Boston Races Already Underway”. Politico. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  12. ^ “CITY OF BOSTON – OFFICIAL GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION – NOVEMBER 4, 2025 CITY COUNCILLOR – DISTRICT 2” (PDF). Boston.gov. 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  13. ^ Mancini, Ryan. “Boston woman with history of antisemitic remarks loses Mass. GOP committee race”.
  14. ^ “CITY OF BOSTON – OFFICIAL GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION – NOVEMBER 4, 2025 CITY COUNCILLOR – DISTRICT 3” (PDF). Boston.gov. 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  15. ^ “CITY OF BOSTON – OFFICIAL GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION – NOVEMBER 4, 2025 CITY COUNCILLOR – DISTRICT 4” (PDF). Boston.gov. 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  16. ^ “CITY OF BOSTON – OFFICIAL GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION – NOVEMBER 4, 2025 CITY COUNCILLOR – DISTRICT 5” (PDF). Boston.gov. 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  17. ^ “CITY OF BOSTON – OFFICIAL GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION – NOVEMBER 4, 2025 CITY COUNCILLOR – DISTRICT 6” (PDF). Boston.gov. 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  18. ^ Deehan, Mike (December 3, 2024). “Boston Councilor Fernandes Anderson faces federal investigation”. Axios. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  19. ^ Farrar, Molly (May 5, 2025). “Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson pleads guilty to 2 federal charges”. Boston. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  20. ^ Markos, Mary (May 7, 2025). “Boston city councilor explains why she hasn’t resigned after guilty plea”. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  21. ^ Lavery, Trea (May 14, 2025). “Boston City Councilors renew calls for Fernandes Anderson to resign”. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  22. ^ a b c d e Garrity, Kelly (May 21, 2025). “Let The Battle For City Hall Begin”. Politico. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  23. ^ “Miniard Culpepper”. Ballotpedia. 2025. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  24. ^ Andrew Ryan; Wesley Lowery (May 22, 2013). “15 Remain In The Race For Mayor of Boston”. The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  25. ^ a b c “The Voter’s Self Defense System”. Vote Smart. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
  26. ^ Bedford, Tori (October 27, 2021). “Boston Council Race Pits Trailblazer Against Perennial Candidate”. WGBH. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  27. ^ “Roy Owens (Massachusetts)”. Ballotpedia. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
  28. ^ “PD43+ » Candidate Profile: Roy A. Owens (R)”. electionstats.state.ma.us (Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth). Retrieved September 18, 2025.
  29. ^ “Satanists Can’t Get An Invitation To Lead The Boston City Council In A Convocation, But One Virulent Homophobe Can”. Universal Hub. March 6, 2019. Archived from the original on March 7, 2019.
  30. ^ “CITY OF BOSTON – OFFICIAL GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION – NOVEMBER 4, 2025 CITY COUNCILLOR – DISTRICT 7” (PDF). Boston.gov. 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  31. ^ “CITY OF BOSTON – OFFICIAL GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION – NOVEMBER 4, 2025 CITY COUNCILLOR – DISTRICT 8” (PDF). Boston.gov. 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  32. ^ a b Parker, Angelina (May 19, 2025). “City Employee Pilar Ortiz Declares Candidacy for Boston City Council”. Harvard Crimson. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  33. ^ “CITY OF BOSTON – OFFICIAL GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION – NOVEMBER 4, 2025 CITY COUNCILLOR – DISTRICT 9” (PDF). Boston.gov. 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2026.