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Suffolk DA Hayden endorses Wu, who had backed his opponent in previous campaign
Mayor Michelle Wu endorsed Kevin Hayden's opponent when he ran for office in 2022.
Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced Monday that he is endorsing Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, as she looks to win a second term later this year. Hayden’s endorsement marks a notable shift in the dynamic between him and Wu. Just a few years ago, she supported Hayden’s opponent in a hard-fought primary race.
“Mayor Wu has been a true partner in delivering real public safety for Boston—not just through words, but through action. Together, we’ve built smart, compassionate strategies that have made Boston the safest major city in America. I am proud to endorse her for re-election and look forward to all we will continue to accomplish together,” Hayden said in a statement.
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As she runs for reelection, Wu is working to fend off a challenge from philanthropist Josh Kraft. In addition to Hayden’s endorsement, she has already secured the support of Rep. Ayanna Pressley, eight City Council members, and a handful of state lawmakers.
“Safety here in Boston… really relies on the entire community. It’s about a team effort, and [Hayden] has been a critical pillar in that team,” Wu said at a press conference Monday.
A spokesperson for Kraft declined to comment.
In 2022, Wu endorsed then-Councilor Ricardo Arroyo in his face-off with Hayden before rescinding her support. That ended up being one of the most bitterly contested races in recent memory. High-profile Boston Globe headlines dominated the final few weeks of the race. First, a report raised questions about Hayden’s handling of an alleged cover-up by an MBTA police officer. Then, the Globe reported that Arroyo was investigated for possible sexual assaults as a teenager.
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After the news broke about Arroyo, he lost high-profile endorsements from Wu, Pressley, and Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey. Although Wu retracted her endorsement of Arroyo, she continued to voice concerns about Hayden’s “judgment in prosecuting cases, his handling of media scrutiny of pending cases, and his conduct in office.” Eventually, Hayden defeated Arroyo by about 6,000 votes.
Despite that history, Wu and Hayden have sought to portray themselves as a united front in recent years when addressing aspects of public safety.
“The mayor and I have been in this together 100%, doing the work,” Hayden said.
Hayden appeared alongside Wu in February as they announced new efforts to address issues that spilled over into new areas of the city after the Wu administration cracked down on a tent encampment at Mass. and Cass.
Wu frequently asserts that Boston is the safest major city in the country, pointing to sharp decreases in the homicide rate and gun violence that occurred under her leadership. But the rise in crime and drug use in new places of the city created a new political vulnerability for Wu.
In introducing his own plan for Mass. and Cass, Kraft portrayed Wu as someone unable to fix Boston’s public safety issues. The fact that Wu has now secured the support of the county’s top prosecutor could help her shore up any perceived weaknesses on the topic of public safety.
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Earlier this month, Hayden found himself involved in the tense debate about immigration enforcement that is ongoing between Wu and the Trump administration. Wu is an ardent defender of policies that limit cooperation between local police and federal immigration agents, and has criticized recent ICE operations in Boston.
After ICE agents detained a man facing criminal charges mid-trail, Hayden sharply criticized the agency and echoed Wu’s concerns that ICE enforcement operations are undermining public safety, not improving it. Tensions rose between Hayden and U.S. Attorney Leah Foley. Although Hayden later said he would not seek charges against the ICE agent who detained the man, he maintained that the decision to arrest him mid-trial was “unprofessional,” “unnecessary,” and “contrary to the interests of justice.”
Wu told reporters that, despite her and Hayden’s success working together, the two remain committed to doing more to improve public safety.
“We are not taking a victory lap, we are not declaring that the work is done. There is deep and hard work that still needs to be done every single day,” Wu said.
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