Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has formally endorsed Henry Santana for councilor-at-large, and plans to keep lending her name to other candidates throughout this election season.
“I’m watching all the races very closely,” Wu told the Herald on Thursday. “It’s a really important election.”
Wu said Santana, her former director of civic organizing, is best equipped to address some of the “institutional knowledge” that will be lost when longtime Councilor-at-Large Michael Flaherty steps down after this year’s election.
“I think Henry will be a great choice to really hit the ground running because he knows City Hall inside and out, having formerly worked as a Council aide and also within the administration, coordinating across all departments,” Wu said. “I also feel aligned with him on his values and what must be.”
Santana is one of eight candidates seeking four at-large seats on the City Council. The three incumbents and five challengers will all be on the ballot this November, as Flaherty’s decision to drop out eliminated the need for a preliminary election.
The 27-year-old Dorchester resident described the mayor’s endorsement as “an incredible honor, and a testament to the shared vision we hold for a brighter, more inclusive Boston.”
The mayor has also endorsed Sharon Durkan, another former employee who worked for Wu when she was a city councilor. Durkan, a political organizer, is seeking the open District 8 seat on the Council in next Tuesday’s special election.
That seat has been vacant since late April, when Wu appointed Kenzie Bok to lead the Boston Housing Authority.
Wu has not had much success with making endorsements in the past, having backed losing candidates for attorney general, auditor and Suffolk district attorney in last fall’s Democratic statewide primary.
She pulled the latter endorsement, however, when a 2005 sexual assault allegation against DA candidate and District 5 City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo came to light.
Wu, who was at odds with a majority of the City Council over this year’s budget, said she didn’t “necessarily see” her endorsements as being a way to drum up more support there, or change the body’s dynamics.
She noted that the Council ultimately approved her $4.2 billion operating budget, and has been a partner on past legislation she’s tried to push through.
“This is an important institution that has a big role to play in advocating for residents and shaping decision-making,” Wu said. “I’m trying to do my part to get involved, and urge everyone to do their research and make sure to vote.”