Josh Kraft exits the Boston mayoral race

Two days after losing badly to incumbent Michelle Wu in the city’s preliminary election, Josh Kraft has withdrawn from the Boston mayoral race.

In an interview Thursday night with WCVB, he declared his intention to halt the campaign.

In a statement, Kraft said that after spending the last two days listening to supporters, friends, and family, he “reached the conclusion that what is right for this city — at a time in America where we need to come closer together despite all our differences, instead of igniting divisiveness that pulls us further apart — is not to get caught up in more political mudslinging but rather, to drive the conversation forward in a meaningful way.”. “.

The humanitarian crisis in the neighborhood near Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, as well as a program to train those who have served time in prison, are the two issues he said he intends to focus his attention and resources on during the race.

Wu thanked Kraft for “caring deeply enough about our city to want to make it better” and stated on Thursday that she respected his decision. “.”.

The son of Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, and seasoned nonprofit executive had promised to remain in the race until the general election in November. For a candidate who invested $51 million of his own funds in the campaign, more than half of which was spent in August, his departure is a sudden change.

However, Wu received the majority of the votes in each ward of the city during this week’s preliminary.

Kraft attempted to use neighborhood complaints about the reconstruction of White Stadium in Franklin Park, bike lanes that annoyed some business owners, and drug issues close to “Mass” to support his claim for the corner office. and Cass. Although he gained support for those causes, the former head of the Boys and Girls Clubs was unable to convert that support into wider backing.

Additionally, Wu’s unwavering defense of Boston against the attacks of the Trump administration presented a challenge to him. The mayor’s popularity among city voters increased as she faced off against the Department of Justice and antagonistic Republicans in Washington, while Kraft attempted to sell himself to the city as more than the scion of a billionaire NFL family.

Before the preliminary, there were indications of trouble. In the days leading up to the election, Kraft reorganized his staff, firing prominent political figures Will Keyser and Eileen O’Connor. According to those with knowledge of the campaign, the two discussed Kraft’s potential loss. The sources claimed that Kraft did not want to hear that message.

O’Connor, who was contacted for comment, cited a Keyser Public Strategies statement released in September. 3. expressing their gratitude for the chance to collaborate with Josh for the project. His many years of community service are greatly respected and admired, and we wish him luck in his campaign.

For 48 hours, the atmosphere in Kraft’s camp had been solemn. The team showed up for an all-staff meeting at the Nubian sq\. headquarters on Wednesday. That afternoon, Kraft gave a brief speech to the group and expressed gratitude for their work. After finishing, he asked employees to clear the office of any trash and political signs before withdrawing into a conference room and making a lengthy phone call by himself.

Three campaign participants were interviewed for this story. They all asked not to be named since they lacked the authority to speak in public.

It is highly probable that Kraft’s father provided input on his son’s plans. He remained quiet for the majority of the race, but after the results were announced Tuesday night, he stood on stage and gave his son a hug at a union hall in South Boston.

Kraft received 23% of the vote, compared to 72% for incumbent Mayor Michelle Wu. “We’ll figure that out tomorrow,” Kraft said to reporters when asked what he intended to do to close the gap. “.”.

In the two days following the election, however, he did not host any press conferences or campaign events. His sole public statement was a social media post on X in which he expressed sympathy for the family of Charlie Kirk, the right-wing political activist who was shot dead on a Utah campus, and denounced political violence.

Kraft’s employees and volunteers were becoming increasingly estranged from one another. Others hoped he would stick with it, stating they still saw a way to win, while others thought he should quit. Only 20% of voters cast ballots in the preliminary election, which is hardly representative of Boston’s electorate, even if it did show how engaged they were with the contest at that time.

However, an increasing number of people questioned Kraft’s ability to apprehend Wu.

Tito Jackson, a previous opponent of Mayor Marty Walsh, stated in an interview with WBUR on Wednesday that “what we’re seeing right now is that the momentum is not in favor of Josh Kraft” prior to Kraft’s withdrawal. The decision is in favor of Michelle Wu, who appears to be Boston’s future. Josh Kraft doesn’t either. “”.

Wu was interviewed by reporters on City Hall Plaza on Wednesday morning. When asked if she would urge Kraft to withdraw from the race, she replied, “No.”. “..”.

“Everyone must decide for themselves, with their family, how they want to use their own time, resources, and energy when running for office. It’s a very personal decision,” she said.

According to Massachusetts state law, Kraft had to withdraw from the preliminary within six days, which meant that the next highest vote-getter could be added to the general election ballot. Domingos DaRosa, a longtime community activist, received only 2 point 6 percent of the vote in this instance.

When DaRosa was called Thursday evening, she was taken aback by the news. He stated he would need to confirm his inclusion on the ballot by contacting the election department on Friday. “And if so, I’m ready for it,” he said.

“When I first pulled papers, I was prepared to face Wu,” DaRosa told WBUR. “I was awaiting election results two days ago. Now that I’m back to normal, I’m waiting for my daughter to leave practice with my wife. Nothing special; I’m just a regular person. As a person, I wish for the best for everyone. “..”.