Michelle Wu defeated fellow Boston City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George in a historic Mayoral election on Tuesday. With both candidates being female, the vote was guaranteed to result in the first-ever election of a woman to the position.
Wu, the first Asian-American woman to serve on the City Council, came out on top with nearly 65 percent of the vote.
Wu received many congratulatory messages from supporters late Tuesday night, including former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.
“Soak it all in tonight,” Walsh Tweeted “You’re the new Mayor of the best city in the world and I look forward to working with you.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) also congratulated the mayor-elect over Twitter.
“Michelle is family. From teaching her in law school, to working together on her first Senate run, to supporting her campaigns, I’ve seen her positive energy, her good heart, and her ability to make change for Boston. She will be a terrific mayor. Congratulations @WuTrain!”
Wu was elected at-large to the Boston City Council in 2013. During her time in this position, Wu was the lead sponsor for Boston’s Paid Parental Leave ordinance and Healthcare Equity ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on gender identity. She was also unanimously elected President of the City Council in 2016.
During her campaign, Wu focused on issues important to Boston residents such as housing affordability, transportation, and public health.
Since there is currently only an interim mayor, Wu will take office on November 16th. This is a much quicker transition period than normal, as the traditional Inauguration Day is in January.
