Marty Walsh and Tito Jackson’s campaigns collided Sunday at a Boston grocery store
"It was actually entirely a coincidence."
Two candidates. Two visions for Boston. One grocery store.
The weekend before Tuesday’s mayoral election, incumbent Mayor Marty Walsh and challenger City Councilor Tito Jackson took to the streets of Boston to rally supporters and make their final cases to undecided residents. On Sunday afternoon, the two candidates did so just a few feet away from each other, making West Roxbury’s Roche Bros. look practically like a New Hampshire diner in the final sprint of the campaign season.
Most West Roxbury political thing ever: Both Walsh and Jackson showed up to campaign at Rochies pic.twitter.com/A3aDaiFIts
— Adam Gaffin (@universalhub) November 5, 2017
Universal Hub founder Adam Gaffin was just one of many who decided to make a grocery trip run to the supermarket and was met by both Walsh and Jackson asking for votes outside the store’s entrance.
“It was actually entirely a coincidence,” Mike Preyba, a spokesman for the Jackson campaign, told Boston.com.
The Roche Bros. stop was listed on the Walsh campaign’s weekend schedule, which was released Friday afternoon. But Preyba said he didn’t learn the mayor would also be there until around 2:20 p.m., when he sent their campaign’s own schedule to a reporter, who responded, “You’re at Roche brothers the same time as Walsh?”
Walsh arrived at the supermarket around 3:45 p.m., according to his campaign. He was accompanied by City Councilor Matt O’Malley, among others supporters.
Great response for @MartyForBoston at @Roche_Bros. #bospoli #bosmayor17 pic.twitter.com/npGiAebnoD
— Matt O’Malley (@MattOMalley) November 6, 2017
It wasn’t long until they were joined by another city councilor.
“Jackson showed up with a crew of a dozen or so sign waving supporters and a WGBH reporter,” Gaffin wrote in a short post Sunday afternoon. According to Preyba, they arrived around 4 p.m.
Gaffin added that it was “possibly one of the few times this campaign where a Jackson standout was larger than a Walsh one.” Polls have shown Walsh with a comfortable lead among voters ahead of Tuesday’s election.
“It was mostly cordial,” Preyba said, noting that several shoppers spoke to both candidates.
“The Mayor was visibly annoyed, as he has refused to appear at the same event for much of the campaign,” he added in a jab at Walsh’s resistance to participate in debates.
Walsh’s campaign however said the mayor was “happy” to see his fellow son of Dorchester.
“Everyone knows Roches Bros. is a great place to connect with residents during campaign season,” Walsh campaign spokeswoman Gabrielle Farrell said.
Apparently so.
The two candidates remained outside the grocery store simultaneously campaigning and greeting customers for roughly two hours, according to their campaigns. Walsh left around 6 p.m.; Jackson left about 15 minutes later.
