Josh Kraft would have been higher off if he hadn’t made the reduce within the first place. Now he’s out of it anyway.
His father, Robert Kraft, billionaire proprietor of the New England Patriots, ought to have advised him that. As an alternative, he confirmed up at Josh’s marketing campaign headquarters on Tuesday evening for Josh’s election evening “victory.”
Some victory. Josh acquired clobbered.
If Josh have been on his father’s New England Patriots group, he would have been fortunate to make the apply squad, not to mention turn into Michelle Wu’s apply dummy.
Coming in a distant second, he was locked in a one-on-one grueling marketing campaign with Wu, a marketing campaign he was unable to win regardless of throwing some $3 million extra of his personal cash into it.
Tuesday’s preliminary election was a skirmish between a well-heeled political novice and a seasoned political professional, and the professional received. For Wu, it was a exercise earlier than the sport, which is the election in November
Wu’s substantial victory in Tuesday’s preliminary election ensures her reelection. However she was going to win anyway, whether or not Kraft was in or out.
Kraft, at 58, might have been eighteen years older than Wu, however incumbent Wu had virtually eighteen years extra political and marketing campaign expertise than Kraft.
Points apart, how may a divorced, single man just lately relocated to Boston — with zero political expertise — run towards a younger, articulate lady of colour, who, regardless of a compassionate look, additionally occurs to be as robust as nails?
“Boston can’t be purchased,” she mentioned to Kraft.
You may as well throw in that she is married and the mom of three, who campaigned carrying her current new child round whereas her husband was at residence caring for the opposite two.
If that weren’t an impediment sufficient for a first-time candidate like Kraft to beat, he needed to face the truth that Wu put collectively a political group that the late four-term Mayor Kevin White would envy.
And he or she has had time to do it, starting along with her first job working for Tom Meino in 2010, campaigning for Sen. Elizabeth Warren in 2012, after which getting elected as an at-large candidate to the Boston metropolis Council 4 instances in a row earlier than being elected mayor 4 years in the past.
White might have been “The loner in love along with his metropolis,” as considered one of his efficient marketing campaign slogans described him, however the metropolis seemed to be in love with Wu, given her lopsided victory.
Had Kraft studied the political state of affairs and been affected person, he may have run at giant for the Metropolis Council. From there, after a time period or two, he may have begun his marketing campaign for mayor, simply as Wu did.
In contrast to Kraft, all of Boston’s previous six mayors — White, Ray Flynn, Tom Menino, Marty Walsh, Kim Janey (performing mayor) and Wu, held elected public places of work earlier than changing into mayor.
It isn’t doubtless that Wu, given her reelection, will search a 3rd time period. It’s potential that she won’t even full a second time period, ought to different political alternatives come up.
Wu is a rising star within the Democrat Celebration. And he or she is younger.
It’s notable that regardless of her standing, Wu didn’t win the endorsement of fellow Democrat Gov. Maura Healey, who should now take into account Wu a competitor.
Whereas each have stood as much as Trump over ICE raids in Boston and Massachusetts geared toward scoping up felony unlawful immigrants, Wu, mayor of a sanctuary metropolis, has snatched the headlines from the governor.
If she have been , Wu may run for governor in 2030 upon the completion of a second Healey time period if, as anticipated, Healey is reelected in 2026.
Or she may anticipate a U.S. Senate seat to open. Sen. Eddie Markey, with fifty years in Washington, will probably be 80 years outdated if he’s reelected in 2026. Or he may drop out and make manner for Wu.
So may Warren pack it in. Warren will probably be 81 if she runs once more in 2030.
Wu is half their age.
Make manner for Wu.
Veteran political reporter Peter Lucas might be reached at: peter.lucas@bostonherald.com
Photograph by Paul Connors/Media Information Group/Boston Herald
Josh Kraft aimed excessive and has now bowed out. (Paul Connors/Boston Herald)
