Next Tuesday, voters from across Boston will be going to the polls in a primary election to choose two candidates for mayor from a crowded field of 12 candidates.
Ever since Mayor Thomas Menino announced in April that he would not be seeking re-election, these 12 candidates have been going out to meet voters and get their message out about their vision for Boston.
After almost 20 years, these types of new ideas and solutions to our problems, coupled with the candidates’ respective visions for Boston’s future, are both refreshing and a part of the process of the evolution of the city’s history. Each new mayor, from John Hynes, to John Collins, to Kevin White, to Ray Flynn, to Tom Menino, has changed the course of Boston’s history and its development in ways both subtle and far-reaching.
The candidates have been talking about their vision for Boston in the areas of police, education, development, and other quality of life issues that will affect all Boston residents.
For East Boston voters, the proposed casino at Suffolk Downs has been brought into the campaign with candidates offering varying ideas on the project, as well as whether only East Boston voters, or all Boston voters, should be able to cast a ballot to approve the casino project.
With the pollsters predicting that the difference between a candidate qualifying for the final election and finishing out of the money will be very slim, every vote will be important in a field as crowded as this mayoral campaign.
Boston voters are indeed fortunate to have such a diverse field of candidates from which to choose their next mayor. We urge all voters to get out and vote on next Tuesday. East Boston always has voted heavily in an election and we anticipate that this election will be no exception.