2023 Boston preliminary election: Which races are contested, who is running, & where do I vote?

Boston’s preliminary election will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 12, and there are several City Council seats up for grabs.

Four districts have open seats that need to be filled.

District 3

Based in Dorchester, seven candidates are running for an open Council seat, where incumbent Frank Baker is not seeking reelection.

The candidates running are John FitzGerald, Jennifer Johnson, Barry Lawton, Matthew Patton, Joel Richards, Ann Walsh, and Rosalind Wornum.

District 5

District 5 covers Hyde Park, Roslindale, and parts of Mattapan. Voters will have to choose from incumbent Ricardo Arroyo, Enrique José Pepén, Jean-Claude Sanon, and Jose Ruiz.

Pepén has been endorsed by Wu and Ruiz has been endorsed by former Mayor Marty Walsh.

Arroyo is battling for a third term and in June, admitted to violating the conflict of interest law by continuing to represent his brother in a civil lawsuit against him after he became a city official.

District 6

District 6 covers Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, and Roslindale and incumbent Kendra Lara is facing multiple obstacles. In recent months Lara has been denying the charges that she was drastically driving over the speed limit when she crashed a car into a Jamaica Plain home in June.

Lara is competing with William King and Benjamin Weber in the race for the District 6 seat.

District 7

Four candidates are challenging incumbent Tania Fernandes Anderson in Roxbury-based District 7.

The four challengers are Althea Garrison, Jerome King, Roy Owens Sr, and Padma Scott.

The candidates who receive the most votes will proceed to the general election on November 7th.

Where do I vote?

Polling locations can her found here and polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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