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Somerville mayor eliminated in preliminary election
Somerville city councilors Jake Wilson and Willie Burnley Jr. will face off in the general election.
Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne came up short in her reelection bid Tuesday night, conceding after unofficial election results showed her lagging behind her two opponents.
Those other candidates, city councilors Jake Wilson and Willie Burnley Jr., will face off in the general election in November.
As of Wednesday morning, the city’s website showed Wilson with 5,109 votes, Burnley with 4,117, and Ballantyne with 2,847. Dozens of absentee, overseas, and dropbox ballots still need to be counted, but they are not expected to impact the overall results.
“Together, we’ve laid a foundation that will help Somerville move forward and will help Somerville thrive,” Ballantyne told supporters Tuesday, per The Boston Globe. “It’s just truly been an honor to be mayor of Somerville.”
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Ballantyne was first elected in 2021 and is in the midst of her second term. She ran on a platform of steady leadership and public works progress in a time of rising costs and threats from the federal government on communities led by progressive leaders. She spoke highly of Somerville’s steady finances and the new developments in the city that she oversaw.
Wilson, who comes from the world of sports media and communications, said during a recent mayoral forum that Ballantyne’s administration represents a “crisis of leadership, management, and accountability.” He said that city services have declined, housing affordability has not been adequately addressed, and that Ballantyne is not transparent with the public.
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“We know people love this city. We love Somerville. That’s why we pay so much money to live here and put up with the construction, with the rats. But people felt very closed off from their mayor,” he told the Globe. “They’re looking for someone to come in who’s going to be available to them.”
Burnley, the youngest candidate running and the only renter, has spoken candidly about being displaced by rising costs. He has a background in community organizing and activism for progressive causes. Burnley’s pitch to voters emphasized his legislative record, including efforts to expand tenant rights, increase police accountability, and expand LGBTQ protections.
Burnley told Boston.com in a statement Wednesday that his campaign is “energized” by the election results and that Ballantyne ran a “strong campaign.”
“As the only renter in this race, it has been so gratifying to see the joy in my neighbors faces when they recognize that Somerville could have a mayor who lived through the economic precarity that so many residents face and who is willing to fight for a city that is more affordable, accountable, and accessible for all. We can have better city services, communication, and ensure that we put our money where our values are,” he said.
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Ballantyne and Wilson did not return requests for comment Wednesday.
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