Josh Kraft officially opened the headquarters of his mayoral campaign last Saturday (March 22) by welcoming more than 200 community members, campaign volunteers, and supporters to 36 Warren Street in Roxbury’s Nubian Square.

When the doors across from Dudley Station opened at 11:30 a.m., it didn’t take long for the room to fill with upbeat music and excited supporters. After a brief introduction from Roxbury native and singer and rapper Ronnie DeVoe of New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe, Kraft took the stand.
“It’s an honor to have our headquarters in Nubian Square,” he said, noting that he was the first to do so in the community since mayoral runner-up Mel King in 1983. “Being in the heart of Nubian square means we’re in the heart of the city of Boston.”

Kraft, however, isn’t planning to come in second. “Everything starts and ends right here in Nubian Square, and that’s where our campaign is going to start. It might end over at the City Hall Plaza, but it’s going to start here and the momentum’s going to come out of this office in the heart of Boston.”

Though he did not address Mayor Wu directly, he said that the city needs a change in “leadership that believes in bringing people together to solve problems; leadership that believes solutions to problems come from the neighborhoods, not from City Hall, top down; leadership that is interested in listening to people, not just checking a box and processing meetings, but actually listening to people; leadership that produces results and not empty promises in political press buzzwords.”

The candidate, who was interrupted often by cheers and applause, added: “That’s what the people of Boston want, but more importantly, that’s what the people of Boston deserve.”

One of those people is Brookline native Casey Cummins, who now lives in West Roxbury. She said she isn’t pleased with Mayor Wu. “I went to one of her coffee things, and she hooked me up with one of her people. Nothing ever happened, nothing. What happened to Boston? I thought it to be very smart, thoughtful, and efficient, if there’s an issue let’s rectify it. Now? Blinders.”

She added, “If you’re going to listen, please do something about it and not go on deaf ears. Not just listen, but actually follow through. I’m done talking, it’s time for the walking.”

Cummins conceded that there’s a lot she doesn’t know about Kraft but she showed up to the HQ opening to learn more about him and about what he plans to do as mayor. Later, Kraft gave her, and many of those squished into the storefront, his answer.

He said that with the help of his supporters, he hopes to make Boston a more affordable place to live, improve public schools, address bike lane issues, and “reinstitute fiscal discipline” in City Hall.

Attendee Harrison West, a 30-year-old property manager at Vision Properties, said that with housing as the number one issue facing the city, he wants a mayor who will collaborate with real estate developers.

“Housing has been ridiculous here. There’s not much supply for the demand,” West told The Reporter. “The current mayor right now isn’t even meeting with developers on these issues, and they are big issues. I feel like we need someone who will talk to developers and help improve the housing situation.”

When asked if he had better luck speaking with Kraft about his concerns, West said that the candidate “is very open to talking with developers and I’m excited about that.”

For his part, Dorchester resident Julian Wise wants to see improvements in public transportation. “I know we’ve made some strides but even just getting here today took a long time,” he said. He added that he likes that Kraft seems to be pro-small business, noting, “Boston is a community of small businesses.”

With all these issues being aired, Kraft’s field director, Annie Nagel reminded the gathering that they are still in the early stages of this campaign. “The first task we’re going to do is the nomination phase,” said Nagel. “This is the most important thing we can focus on right now. Getting Josh on the ballot. We’re going to need your time and your effort. Together as a group, we can get that done.”

When asked by The Reporter what he thought about the event, Kraft said that he was “blown away by all the people, the diversity, the commitment, the passion for the city. It’s awesome and it means so much to me personally. [This headquarters] is going to become a hub for our campaign and full of passion for the city, commitment to the city, and I hope it’s going to get us on the path to taking City Hall.”