AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Boston’s mayoral primary
WASHINGTON (AP) — Boston voters will narrow the field of candidates for mayor on Tuesday in a municipal primary that pits incumbent Michelle Wu against a deep-pocketed challenger with one of the most famous last names in New England.
Wu seeks a second term as President Donald Trump has threatened federal intervention in some of the nation’s largest cities, following his deployment of National Guard troops and federal officers to Los Angeles and Washington for local law enforcement matters. Since Trump took office in January, Republican leaders have excoriated Wu and other big-city mayors for immigration policies they say undermine the president’s mass deportation efforts.
Wu faces a challenge from Josh Kraft, son of billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and the former head of both the New England Patriots Foundation and the Boys & Girls Club of Boston. Wu and Kraft are Democrats. Also on the ballot are former Boston police officer and frequent candidate Robert Cappucci and community organizer Domingos DaRosa.
As of the end of August, Kraft had outspent Wu, $5.5 million to about $1.1 million, thanks in large part to more than $5 million in loans from the candidate to his campaign. But Wu entered the final days of the campaign with much more cash in the bank, $2.4 million to about $1.3 million for Kraft.
Although Democrats have exclusively occupied the Boston mayor’s office for nearly 100 years, the position is officially nonpartisan, with all candidates running on the same primary ballot and the top two vote-getters advancing to the November general election.
Wu placed first in the crowded 2021 primary with 33% of the vote against seven other candidates, including Cappucci in his third mayoral bid. She went on to win the general election with 64% of the vote, carrying 19 of the city’s 22 wards.
She lost Wards 6 and 7 in South Boston and Ward 16 in South Dorchester in the primary and in the general election. These were the three wards where Trump posted his best performances in the city in the 2024 presidential election, receiving about a third of the vote. In the primary, Wu lost some additional wards in North and South Dorchester, the South End and West Roxbury.
The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.
There are no automatic recounts in Massachusetts, but candidates for Boston offices may petition for a recount by obtaining signatures from 50 or more registered voters from each ward. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is eligible for a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.
Here’s a look at what to expect on Tuesday:
Primary day
Boston’s mayoral primary, officially known as the preliminary municipal election, will be held Tuesday. Polls close at 8 p.m. ET.
What’s on the ballot?
The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in Boston’s mayoral primary. Cities and towns across Massachusetts will also hold primaries for various municipal offices, including Boston’s city council, but only Boston’s mayoral race will be included in the AP’s vote tabulation.
Who gets to vote?
Any voter registered in Boston may participate in the mayoral primary.
What do turnout and advance vote look like?
As of Feb. 1, there were nearly 422,000 registered voters in Boston. Of those, about 39% were Democrats, 4% were Republicans and 56% were not enrolled in any political party.
In the 2021 mayoral primary, turnout was just shy of 25% of registered voters. Roughly a quarter of votes in that election were cast early or by mail. Early and absentee voting was considerably higher in the last two even-year primaries, with 46% of 2022 primary ballots and 60% of 2024 primary ballots cast before Election Day.
As of Tuesday, more than 25,000 ballots had been cast before primary day, about 54% from Democrats, 3% from Republicans and 42% from voters not registered with any party.
How long does vote-counting usually take?
In the 2024 presidential election, the AP first reported results from Boston at 9:44 p.m. ET. The election night tabulation ended at 2:24 a.m. ET with about 93% of total votes counted.
Are we there yet?
As of Tuesday, there will be 56 days until Boston’s mayoral general election on Nov. 4.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2025 election at https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2025/.
By ROBERT YOON
Associated Press
