Mayor-elect Marty Walsh’s victory
Boston will soon have its first new mayor in 20 years. Longtime state legislator Martin J. Walsh defeated City Councilor John R. Connolly in Tuesday’s election, leveraging the support of labor groups and a significant cross-section of residents throughout the city. He will take office in January. Steven Poftak, the executive director of Harvard Kennedy School’s Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston, talks about Walsh’s victory and what this means for the city of Boston. QUESTION: Are you surprised by the results? POFTAK: These results are not surprising. The race was close and competitive throughout. During the last few weeks, it felt like the momentum was moving toward Walsh. His campaign seemed to be controlling the narrative and they seemed to be attracting large numbers of enthusiastic participants to their events. Plus, he had a significant advantage in spending on his behalf, close to $1 million more than Connolly with outside groups included. More...