Boston voters have eight solid choices for city council-at-large on their ballot next Tuesday, Nov. 4, but there are two candidates that The Reporter recommends in particular.
Ruthzee Louijeune, the body’s current president, has been an exceptional city councillor over her first two terms in office. The electorate responded in kind by propelling her into the top position in the 2023 general election and again in this September’s preliminary balloting.
The 39-year-old Louijeune has lived-up to the expectations Bostonians rightly have for an effective at-large councillor: She’s responsive and thoughtful and shows up to be counted in all parts of the city. As president, she has kept good order and decorum in the council itself.
When scandal did surface due to the misdeeds of a former District 7 councillor, Louijeune was decisive in her response, calling quickly for her resignation.
She supported Mayor Wu for re-election and is more often than not aligned with the mayor’s positions. But not always. Louijeune has shown a willingness to oppose certain policies when needed – the White Stadium project being one notable example.
Louijeune, an attorney who has a strong grasp on the tough challenges facing Boston in the form of a menacing federal government, will be a key voice and steady hand in shaping our city’s response to that belligerency.
Her Haitian-American heritage and affinity for new Bostonians from all parts of the world makes her an important, empathetic leader in these times of crisis and uncertainty for so many of our neighbors.
The Reporter enthusiastically endorses Councillor Louijeune’s re-election next Tuesday.
While it’s clear that Boston voters resoundingly support Mayor Wu, who is running unopposed on Tuesday after scoring a massive victory over Josh Kraft in September, many voters are, quite sensibly, looking for the next city council to serve as a check and balance on her administration.
First-time candidate Will Onuoha, a 42-year-old Dorchester resident and attorney who has worked for four Boston mayors and brings a valuable lived experience to the table, is an excellent choice to add a dynamic, independent lens to the at-large lineup.
Onuoha, who now works as a lawyer for the Boston Water & Sewer Commission, has an impressive background in city government. The son of immigrants from Nigeria, he and his siblings were raised in Mission Hill. He worked as a neighborhood liaison for Mayor Tom Menino, whom he considers his role model and mentor.
Onuoha served as executive director of the city’s Office of Fair Housing, Equity and Civil Rights under Mayor Marty Walsh, and he has also held key administrative roles at the Inspectional Services Dept.
An unenrolled voter who describes himself as “politically moderate,” Onuoha would bring a well-informed, but fresh perspective to a council that would benefit from that sort of balance and respectful debate.
The Reporter recommends that voters add Will Onuoha to their election day slate for at-large council.
-Bill Forry and Linda Dorcena Forry
Co-Publishers
