In an interview with WCVB-TV, Josh Kraft said that he will suspend his campaign for mayor of Boston.
Kraft, who received 23 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s preliminary election, also sent a letter to supporters explaining the decision and committing $3 million from his campaign fund to fighting the problems at Mass and Cass.
“I have determined that what is right for this city—during a time in America where we need to come closer together despite all our differences, instead of igniting divisiveness that pulls us further apart—is not to get caught up in more political mudslinging but rather, to drive the conversation forward in a meaningful way,” read the letter.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to suspend my candidacy for mayor of Boston. With the resources I have committed to this race, I thought about what I could truly accomplish to impact the most meaningful change for this city over the next eight weeks,” he continued. “This campaign has never been about speeches or social media posts, talking points or talking heads. It has never been about Josh Kraft or Michelle Wu. It has always been about the future of Boston.”
Mayor Michelle Wu responded to the news Thursday night in a statement.
“I respect Josh’s decision and thank him for caring about our city deeply enough to want to make it better,” she wrote. “We are going to continue over the next two months and beyond to keep engaging our community members about the critical work in front of us and how we keep making Boston a safe, welcoming home for everyone.”
In the letter to supporters, which was received by The Reporter, Kraft recalled all of the people he meet on the campaign and the challenges they face as residents of Boston. He said he got into the race “to listen” and it’s exactly what he’s done for the last seven months on the campaign trail. He said he can make a bigger difference in tackling problems facing Boston, such as the myriad of issues circling around Mass and Cass and the struggles faced by those returning from incarceration.
“I’m proud to announce today that I will dedicate the resources I had committed to this race and additional funds toward tackling the humanitarian crisis at Mass & Cass—partnering with organizations like The Phoenix and the Gavin Foundation,” he wrote. “I have done this kind of work before. My entire career has been centered around bringing people together. I am committed to working together with partners at the state and the city level, as well as with law enforcement to coalesce around a strategy that will deliver real solutions now. I am proud to launch this effort with $3 million today.”
He said he has many memories from criss-crossing the city during his campaign, and said they “made a difference” and “challenged the status quo.”
“In Mattapan Square, I heard from a business owner who was afraid that a new bus lane, unwanted by residents, would destroy what he had worked so hard to build,” read the letter. “In Dorchester, a woman worried that she would be priced out of her home due to the sky-rocketing costs of rent…I strongly believe that the people of Boston deserve a fair shot – to buy a home, to go to great schools in their neighborhood, to find a good job, and to be able to afford the city they live in. But it feels increasingly like the deck is stacked against everyday Bostonians.”
Domingos DaRosa and Robert Cappucci, who finished third and fourth respectively in Tuesday’s election, are not eligible to replace Kraft on the ballot (if he requests that his name be withdrawn), due to a state law that requires candidates to win a minimum threshold of votes. In this case, that number is 3,000— the figure set for the minimum number of signatures needed to get on the ballot in the first place.
According to unofficial results, DaRosa received 2,409 votes and Cappucci got 2,074.
In a Facebook post on Sept. 12, DaRosa said he was attempting to petition for a recount in hopes it would revise his election result to the 3,000 vote threshold. The issue will be moot if Kraft does not submit his own official request to withdraw from the general election ballot.
