Following a competitive City Council race in Nov. 2015, Mayor Martin Walsh inaugurated Andrea Campbell and Annissa Essaibi George into Boston City Council office outside Faneuil Hall Monday.
Campbell and Essaibi George were sworn in alongside nine district councilors, as well as returning At-Large councilors Ayanna Pressley and Michelle Wu, the newly elected Council President.
Campbell, the District 4 City Councilor, said the inauguration ceremony was an important experience for her, her campaign team and the district she represents.
“The inauguration was an exciting day both for me, my family, staff, as well as District 4 residents because it means we start our work in earnest now,” Campbell wrote in an email. “Our team is ready to get to work, and our immediate focus is to effectively and efficiently deliver city services to the residents of District 4, as articulated in our District 4 plan.”
Essaibi George agreed, and said the inauguration was special because she was able to share it with her loved ones.
“Yesterday was an incredible day. An incredibly special day, in particular, because I could share it with my family and friends,” Essaibi George said. “[Through] both the activities of the campaign or the emotional piece of the campaign, it was great to share the day with them.”
The MassINC Polling Group, a local polling advocacy organization, collaborated with WBUR, Boston’s NPR news station, to map out votes for the At-Large Council election.
Richard Parr, research director of MassINC, said while the organization did not do polling for the At-Large Council race, it formulated the votes each candidate received.
“We analyzed the [voter] turnout during the day [of the election], which is something we do during every election in Boston,” Parr said. “[Residents] could see where Ayanna Pressley did best, where Michelle Wu did best. You can see how Essaibi George won and how she beat Stephen Murphy [and] the parts of the city where she was strongest.”
Parr said that MassINC’s data revealed a growing trend in female voter participation.
“Women were the top vote getters in the At-Large race, so [there is] definitely a trend towards more of a female representation on the council, which I think some people think is very encouraging,” Parr said.
After the ceremony, the first City Council meeting of the year was held in the Christopher A. Iannella chamber at City Hall. At the meeting, Wu was elected council president.
Wu addressed the audience regarding the influence she and her fellow council members intend to have on the City of Boston.
“This council comprises 13 strong and committed advocates who have knowledge and experience in confronting many of the issues we are facing,” Wu said. “In this term, we will take action on reducing income and equality, reforming our criminal justice system, improving educational opportunities and preparing for climate change.”
Wu said the council will attempt to utilize the city’s growing cultural and socioeconomic diversity in the coming term.
“Today’s Boston City Council brings together diverse experiences and family backgrounds, some of us from families who came to Boston generations ago and some from families who arrived more recently,” Wu said. “[The council members’] voices will be important additions to this chamber and it will be felt throughout the city.”
Wu spoke favorably to The Daily Free Press of both Campbell and Essaibi George and the assets they bring to City Council.
“They are going to be great additions, both in terms of speaking in debates at City Hall or advocating for residents outside of City Hall in all of the neighborhoods,” Wu said. “I’ve had the chance to meet and talk with both of them, and each of the councilors brings a lot of great ideas and new energy to the position.”
