Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson announced his candidacy for the mayor of Boston on Jan. 12, challenging Boston Mayor Martin Walsh for the office.
In an interview with The Daily Free Press, Jackson, who currently represents District 7, said his campaign theme “We Are Boston” promotes his goal of inclusivity and his desire for all citizens to have equal opportunities to succeed.
“I’m running for mayor because although Boston is a great city, we are leaving people behind,” Jackson said.
Jackson cited an income gap and a discrepancy in life expectancy between neighborhoods as examples of imbalances currently facing the city.
“Fifty percent of the people in the city of Boston make $35,000 a year or less,” Jackson said. “In the city of Boston, we also have, in my district alone, from one end in the Back Bay to the other end in Roxbury, there’s a 33-year difference in life expectancy.”
Jackson emphasized that the city’s attention has shifted away from issues like public education and affordable housing, and that funds are not being prioritized appropriately.
“We have lost our way, and we are concentrating on big events like the Olympics and INDYCAR instead of the issues that working families are dealing with,” Jackson said. “Rents are sky-high, folks are still struggling to get permanent housing and to afford to live in the city of Boston. We are not investing in the Boston Public Schools in the way we should.”
His campaign will primarily focus on issues concerning job creation, small businesses, public education, the city’s youth, protection from violence and gentrification, Jackson said.
“We will definitely be able to deal with the issue of job creation, and having equity and opportunity in job creation, and also the ability for businesses and small-businesses to be supported,” Jackson said. “We will definitely deal with the issue of public education and the need to support public education.”
Jackson said it is critical for the local government to ensure that people are safe and not experiencing violence at the rate that many neighborhoods currently are.
“We had 296 shootings last year in the city of Boston, with [approximately] 50 murders,” Jackson said. “That’s 50 families this past New Year who had somebody missing in their family.”
Jackson stressed the importance of student activism and local elections.
“The things that most directly affect you are decided by city government,” Jackson said. “I think it’s also very critical that we engage the over 150,000 students that are in the city of Boston. We want student voices at the table.”
In response to Jackson’s decision to run for mayor, several candidates have emerged to fill his District 7 City Council seat, including former Boston police officer Charles Clemons.
Clemons said he supports Jackson and values public safety as well as education, vowing to put these two areas into focus if elected as a city councilor.
“I will fight gentrification, I will increase the funding for our education and public schools,” Clemons said. “When it comes to community policing, making sure we have the officers get out of their vehicles and interact with the community to build that trust.”
Several Boston residents expressed varying opinions on the mayor race.
Nick Spanos, 24, of Jamaica Plain, said he supports Jackson’s bid for mayor.
“Tito Jackson has served minority and underrepresented communities since his college career, and it would be clear that he would do the same for such communities in the city of Boston,” Spanos said.
Victor Carrara, 51, of Roxbury, said despite Jackson’s strong suits, unseating Walsh would be a challenging fight.
“Both candidates are hardworking, decent public servants, but I think it will be extremely difficult to outwork Mayor Walsh,” Carrara said. “City Hall is running effectively and I believe the mayor is living up to his goals and expectations outlined in the last election.”
David Admasu, 55, of East Boston, said Walsh is not focusing his efforts on the right areas, and he hopes to see another individual take Walsh’s place.
“[Walsh] let the corporation run free,” Admasu said. “If you go to the Seaport area, it is very unorganized and everyone is building something without a schedule. I don’t think Walsh is really serving Boston appropriately. I would like to see someone else as mayor.”
Abigail Freeman contributed to the reporting of this article.
