Katjana Ballantyne
Mayor of Somerville, Massachusetts from 2022 to 2026
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Katjana Ballantyne (born 1962) is an American politician who served as the 36th mayor of Somerville, Massachusetts between January 3, 2022 and January 2, 2026.[2]
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Katjana Ballantyne | |
|---|---|
Ballantyne at the opening of Union Square Station in 2022 | |
| 36th Mayor of Somerville | |
| In office January 3, 2022 – January 2, 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph Curtatone |
| Succeeded by | Jake Wilson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1962 (age 63–64) |
| Party | Democratic[1] |
| Education | |
Early life and education
Ballantyne was born in Greece and was adopted by her father and mother, a Scottish man and a Czech-German woman. They immigrated to the United States four years after she was born.[3] She later received her B.A. from Saint Michael's College in 1984 and her M.B.A. from Suffolk University in 1998.[4]
Political Career
Ballantyne ran unsuccessfully in a close race for the Ward 7 seat on the Somerville City Council (then named the Board of Aldermen) in 2011,[5] but ran again successfully in 2013, and won each of her reelection bids.[6] She was elected President of the City Council by her fellow councilors in 2018.[7]
After then-mayor Joe Curtatone announced that he would not run for another term, Ballantyne announced her bid for mayor in 2021, and won in a race against fellow city councilor Will Mbah.[8][9] She ran and won a second term in 2023.[10]
In February 2025, under Ballantyne's administration, Somerville, alongside Chelsea, Massachusetts, sued the Trump administration for threatening to withdraw federal funds from the city because of its sanctuary city status.[11]
She ran for a third term in 2025, but lost in a preliminary election against city councilors Willie Burnley Jr. and Jake Wilson.[12][13] Wilson went on to win in the municipal election and took office on January 2, 2026, ending Ballantyne's term.[14][15]
Electoral history
City Council
| 2013 Somerville City Council election (Ward 7) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Municipal election[18] | |
| Votes | % | |
| Katjana Ballantyne | 1,122 | 57.5 |
| Joseph A. Capuano | 825 | 42.3 |
| Write-in | 4 | 0.2 |
| Total | 1,951 | 100 |
| 2015 Somerville City Council election (Ward 7) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Municipal election[19] | |
| Votes | % | |
| Katjana Ballantyne (inc.) | 687 | 98 |
| Write-in | 14 | 2 |
| Total | 701 | 100 |
| 2017 Somerville City Council election (Ward 7) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Municipal election[20] | |
| Votes | % | |
| Katjana Ballantyne (inc.) | 1,724 | 98.7 |
| Write-in | 23 | 1.3 |
| Total | 1,747 | 100 |
| 2019 Somerville City Council election (Ward 7) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Municipal election[21] | |
| Votes | % | |
| Katjana Ballantyne (inc.) | 1,566 | 97.7 |
| Write-in | 37 | 2.3 |
| Total | 1,603 | 100 |
Mayor
| 2023 Somerville mayoral election | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Municipal election[24] | |
| Votes | % | |
| Katjana Ballantyne (inc.) | 13,657 | 80.9 |
| William B. Tauro | 3,029 | 17.9 |
| Write-in | 201 | 1.2 |
| Total | 20,497 | 100 |
| 2025 Somerville mayoral election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Preliminary election[25] | Municipal election[26] | ||
| Votes | % | Votes | % | |
| Jake Wilson | 5,190 | 42.1 | 11,294 | 55.1 |
| Willie Burnley, Jr | 4,174 | 33.9 | 9,144 | 44.6 |
| Katjana Ballantyne (inc.) | 2,927 | 23.7 | ||
| Write-in | 40 | 0.3 | 59 | 0.3 |
| Total | 12,331 | 100 | 20,497 | 100 |