Lead
On Sept. 9, 2025, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and challenger Josh Kraft emerged as the top two finishers in the city’s preliminary mayoral election, setting up a head-to-head general election on Nov. 4. Unofficial tallies posted around 11:30 p.m. showed Wu with roughly 70% of the vote and Kraft with about 25%. The Associated Press projected Wu the winner shortly after polls closed. Two other candidates, Domingos DaRosa and Robert Cappucci, each received under 3% and were eliminated.
Key takeaways
- Michelle Wu led the preliminary with about 70% of the vote in unofficial results updated near 11:30 p.m.; Josh Kraft followed with roughly 25%.
- Associated Press called the race for Wu at about 8:15 p.m., soon after polls closed.
- Turnout was low: 76,525 ballots had been cast by about 6 p.m., and city data showed 17.9% turnout by 9:20 p.m.
- Two other candidates—Domingos DaRosa and Robert Cappucci—each received under 3% and did not advance.
- Kraft, a longtime nonprofit leader and son of businessman Robert Kraft, has contributed $5.5 million of his own money to the campaign.
- A recent Emerson College poll showed Wu leading 72% to 22% among likely voters heading into the preliminary.
- Key issues in the campaign included homelessness and public drug use (Mass and Cass), housing supply, the White Stadium project, and new bus and bike lanes.
Background
Michelle Wu is completing her first four-year term as Boston’s mayor after serving on the City Council beginning in 2014 and as council president from 2016 to 2018. Her tenure has been marked by an aggressive agenda on housing, transit changes including expanded bus and bike lanes, and a public profile elevated by clashes with the federal government over immigration policy and Boston’s Trust Act.
Josh Kraft is a longtime nonprofit executive who led the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston for more than three decades, including 12 years as president and CEO. He moved his voter registration to Boston’s North End in 2023 and launched his first run for public office in February 2025, positioning himself as a challenger focused on public safety, housing supply and school-system reform.
The preliminary system in Boston narrows a larger field to two candidates for a November general election. Compared with the more competitive 2021 preliminary, when nearly 109,000 ballots were cast, turnout this year was materially lower, a factor campaigns on both sides cited in post-election analyses.
Main event
On election night in Roslindale’s Adams Park, Mayor Wu framed the margin of victory as a repudiation of wealthy, outside influence and a defense of city policies she said preserve access and services for residents. She repeated her campaign theme that opponents were leaning on family money rather than community ties or municipal experience.
At a separate event in South Boston, Josh Kraft told supporters at the Iron Workers Local 7 hall that his campaign would continue until November. Kraft emphasized the persistence of challenges facing many Boston families and vowed to intensify efforts in the remaining weeks of the race.
Supporters at both events voiced sharply different priorities: Wu backers pointed to her neighborhood outreach and union endorsements, while Kraft supporters highlighted frustration over homelessness, public drug use around Mass and Cass, and perceived street-safety and traffic problems tied to new lane designs.
Two other hopefuls—Domingos DaRosa and Robert Cappucci—finished with under 3% of votes each and were eliminated, consolidating what had become a two-person contest in the closing month before the preliminary.
Analysis & implications
Wu’s commanding preliminary showing both reflects and reinforces an advantage in name recognition, campaign infrastructure and voter familiarity with her record. A 70%-25% split in the preliminary, if sustained into November, would make the race a significant uphill climb for Kraft; however, preliminaries with low turnout can mask latent voter energy that campaigns plan to mobilize for the general election.
Kraft’s self-funding—$5.5 million to date—gave him early resources to scale television and digital outreach, but the campaign struggled to close the name-recognition and favorability gap demonstrated by Emerson polling and by Tuesday’s results. His emphasis on reining in certain city projects and pausing new lanes aims to appeal to voters frustrated with recent changes in traffic and street design.
On policy, the outcome preserves Wu’s political mandate to continue projects she argues expand opportunity—affordable housing initiatives and the White Stadium partnership among them—while also sharpening debate over how the city addresses Mass and Cass and other public-safety concerns. The federal layer of conflict—DOJ legal action and public pressure on immigration cooperation—adds a national dimension that could influence turnout and advocacy between now and Nov. 4.
Comparison & data
| Metric | 2025 Preliminary | 2021 Preliminary |
|---|---|---|
| Top vote share (leading candidate) | ~70% (Wu) | (2021) more competitive — top < 70% |
| Second-place share | ~25% (Kraft) | (2021) closer margins among finalists |
| Total ballots cast (prelim) | 76,525 (as of ~6 p.m.) | ~109,000 (2021 prelim) |
| Turnout (city-qualified voters) | 17.9% (by 9:20 p.m.) | Higher in 2021 |
These figures show a notable drop in raw ballots from 2021 to 2025, which could magnify the impact of targeted turnout operations before November. Polling data from Emerson College immediately before the preliminary closely matched the final unofficial shares, suggesting a stable late lead for Wu.
Reactions & quotes
Wu addressed supporters in Roslindale and framed the result as more than a personal win, tying it to broader attacks she said were focused on city policies and institutions.
“We won by a margin money can’t buy,”
Michelle Wu, Boston mayor
The Kraft campaign emphasized persistence and the long campaign ahead, signaling continued field work and outreach to undecided voters.
“We are still in this race,”
Josh Kraft, mayoral candidate
Local elected officials offered endorsements and comments that highlighted the race’s stakes: some noted Wu’s record of delivering neighborhood investments, while others urged a focus on experience and local ties.
“Michelle Wu has honored her promises and delivered results for all neighborhoods of Boston,”
State Sen. Sal DiDomenico (D-Middlesex and Suffolk)
Unconfirmed
- Public claims or warnings that the federal government will send ICE agents or National Guard units to Boston remain claims of potential action and are not confirmed deployments.
- Details about the precise source of Josh Kraft’s stated $6.3 million income last year are based on his public statement; complete tax returns have not been released to independently verify all sources.
Bottom line
Tuesday’s preliminary leaves Mayor Michelle Wu with a significant edge heading into the Nov. 4 general election, both in raw vote share and in apparent voter familiarity with her record. Low turnout, however, means the margin may not be predictive of the general-election environment if either campaign substantially improves its mobilization operations.
Over the next eight weeks campaigns will focus on turnout, fundraising and sharpening contrasts on issues such as homelessness and public drug use, housing supply, the White Stadium project and street redesigns. National attention tied to immigration disputes and the DOJ lawsuit could further shape messaging and motivate different voter blocs ahead of November.