2025 Boston City Council election
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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.
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November 4, 2025
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13 seats on the Boston City Council | |||||||||||||
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 Composition of the Boston City Council by political party[a] | |||||||||||||
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Election schedule
Key dates relating to the election were as follows:
| 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.
![](#/media/File:Ruthzee_Louijeune_at_topping-off_ceremony_of_"Innovation_Square_III"_project_in_Boston_on_June_10,_2025_(54617712403-1).jpg)
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
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
- Andretti R. McDuffie-Stanziani
- Gabriela Coletta Zapata, incumbent city councilor[5]
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
- Charles Delaney, Independent candidate from South Boston[9]
- Ed Flynn, incumbent city councilor[10]
Eliminated in preliminary
- Brian Foley, South Boston resident and Trump 2024 campaign volunteer[11]
Results
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
- Helen Cameron
- Brian Worrell, incumbent city councilor[5]
Eliminated in preliminary
- Juwan Skeens, candidate for Suffolk's 1st District in 2024[5]
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
District 6
Declared
- Ben Weber, incumbent city councilor[5]
- Stephen Berry, Simmons University history professor[5]
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
- Natalie Juba-Sutherland[22]
- Jerome King, past candidate for city council[22]
- Roy Owens,[22] perennial candidate,[b], pastor[29] educator,[c], former Department of Public Welfare social worker, former Massachusetts Department of Corrections employee[25]
Declined
- Tania Fernandes Anderson, former city councilor (2022–25)
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
- Sharon Durkan, incumbent city councilor[5]
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
- Officially nonpartisan
- 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]
- 19 prior campaigns for Boston City Council 7th district: 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2009 (special election), 2009 (regular election), 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023
- 3 campaigns in at-large Boston City Council elections: 2003, 2005, 2021
- 1 campaign as the Republican nominee for Massachusetts House of Representatives' 9th Suffolk district in 2024
- 1 campaign as an independent candidate for Massachusetts House of Representatives' 5th Suffolk district in 2022
- 7 campaigns in Democratic primaries for Massachusetts House 5th Suffolk district: 1988, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2018
- 3 campaigns in Democratic primaries for Massachusetts Senate's 2nd Suffolk district: 2012, 2014, 2016
- 1campaign in a Republican primary for Massachusetts Senate's 1st Suffolk district in 1990
- 1 campaign as an independent candidate for Massachusetts's 9th congressional district in 2020
- Roy Owens Owens has previously worked as a teacher in Boston Public Schools and Cathedral High School[25]