Working Remotely

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has a busy year ahead. She’s due to give birth to her third child in January and then will face a reelection campaign.”I am running,” Wu announced during an interview for Sunday’s episode of “On The Record.”She said a formal launch of her reelection campaign will come later “at the right moment.”Wu, 39, was first elected to the Boston City Council in November 2013, becoming the first Asian American woman to serve on the council. She was unanimously chosen by her colleagues to serve as president of City Council in January 2016, becoming the first woman of color to serve as council president a role she held for two years.The Harvard College and Harvard Law School graduate was elected mayor in November 2021 and took the oath of office a few days later, instead of the usual transition in January, because she was replacing an interim mayor. Wu is no stranger to serving in public office as a new mother. Both of her sons were born while she was on the City Council. Wu told OTR that she is preparing to work from home more after the birth of her baby girl.”I look forward to having the baby, resting for a little bit and then getting right back out there,” she said.In the wake of an election dominated by Republican victories on the national scale, Wu leads a left-leaning city in a deep blue state. “This is a consequential time. I feel so lucky and grateful every day to live in a city where people are always ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work,” she said. “We have a lot more work to do.”At this early stage, the slate of candidates who may be seeking the mayor’s office in 2025 is unclear. “The big question in this race, now that we know the mayor’s in it because she said it here, is: Do (Councilor) Ed Flynn and Josh Kraft have the courage to get into this race against her?” Republican political analyst Rob Gray said.Democratic political analyst Mary Anne Marsh pointed to dominant election wins in Boston for Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Stephen Lynch as signs that the progressive incumbent is likely to fare well against those potential challengers. “If either one of them, who are more conservative than Michelle, I mean, the numbers I just cited show there’s not appetite for that in Boston,” Marsh said.Wu said she would welcome other candidates.”This is a job that is, I would say, the best job in the world. And it’s not an easy one,” Wu said. “I’ve run now, five, six citywide campaigns, been involved in city issues for well over a decade. And I welcome anyone who wants to contribute to the conversation.”