Boston, We Have a (Political) Problem!

Boston, We Have a (Political) Problem!

Op-ed  By George "Chip" Greenidge, Jr.

It was 2013, and longtime Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino decided not to run for office again. What emerged was a diverse group of candidates — from different backgrounds, with different ideas and ideologies — all presenting competing visions for the future of Boston. It was an incredible moment. Democracy was alive and well.

I was excited. I even put together a forum where each mayoral candidate could share their thoughts and vision for the city, uninterrupted — right in the middle of Grove Hall at Flames Restaurant. Twelve candidates emerged, and residents had the rare opportunity to see each of them as they were — not filtered through political patronage or the influence of major backers. It was the golden age of Boston politics, a time when ideas were traded freely and communities were energized by the possibility of change.

Twelve years later, we’ve gone backwards.

On the local level, we’ve returned to the safety of the status quo. The incumbent mayor, after just one term, is running unchallenged. Boston, we have a problem. Mayor Michelle Wu has become an archetype — perhaps even "Mayor Michelle Menino". (Maybe I’m giving her too much credit as an incumbent mayor.) But if you look at the last three elected mayors, she’s a complete break from what defined Boston politics for decades.

That old archetype was white, male, working-class, averagely educated, born and raised in Boston (Dorchester or Southie), with grit and hustle. Their story echoed what we all heard growing up — without the internet, without the platforms. It was the Horatio Alger “self-made man” dream, a narrative of hard work and luck.

Then came Michelle Wu — young, Asian, Harvard-educated (twice), and from Chicago. She entered the political scene in 2013 and, although she won an at-large council seat on her first try, no one really saw her as a threat. She was initially viewed by some as a symbol of change, rather than a serious contender — reflecting the limited imagination many had for Boston's future. Today, she is the "change," representing the possibility that others besides white men could lead and reflect the diverse needs of Bostonians.

And while I believe Mayor Wu has done a solid job — she led through COVID, managed immigration issues, pushed back on federal threats to democracy, and reshaped City Hall with new departments and a more representative administration of race, socio-economic class, and age — Boston still has a political problem.

We have a vacuum — a vacuum of competition, a vacuum of ideas, a vacuum of critical debate.

With Josh Kraft exiting the race, we’re left with no serious challengers to the mayor. Meanwhile, the media and well-funded community groups have ignored the remaining two candidates — Domingos DaRosa and Robert Cappucci — despite them qualifying for the ballot with 3,000 signatures. Without a competitive mayoral race, the Boston City Council At-Large races will be dramatically affected, and the democratic process will suffer.

Let’s be clear, as I stated earlier, at Greatest MINDS, we’ve always made space for every candidate. As long as you got the required 3,000 signatures to be on the ballot, you were invited to our one-on-one Community Mayoral Forums. Because we believe democracy is for everyone. Running for office shouldn't be reserved for the chosen few with money, name recognition, or political backing.

Since 2009, we’ve organized mayoral forums — even when it was “political suicide" in the Mayor Menino years. We did it anyway. As a locally grassroots Black-run nonprofit, not backed by national organizations or large foundations, we didn’t need permission. We led. And when others stayed silent, our Greatest MINDS members who were a part of Boston’s Black community took the risks and paved the way.

So yes — congratulations to the locally Black-led community organizations. No revisionist history. No gatekeeping. No spin. We made space for everyone. That’s leadership. That’s democracy.

Again, I respect Michelle Wu and Josh Kraft personally, politically, and professionally. But if either of them truly values democracy, they should refuse to participate in any forum that excludes qualified candidates. That’s not just wrong — it’s outrageous and does the voters a disservice. Voters vet the candidates, not you.

In 2013, when there were 12 candidates for Mayor, we welcomed them all. Why can't that happen in 2025?

Any community group, nonprofit, or Ward Committee that excludes qualified candidates — especially Black or Brown candidates — should be ashamed. Look into their boards, ask who they represent, and demand better. Because in Boston politics, getting on the ballot used to be the biggest hurdle. Now, even that’s not enough.

So yes — show up and vote. And congratulations to Domingos DaRosa and Robert Cappucci for having the courage to run and represent your vision as official bona fide candidates for Mayor of Boston.

As for eleven District 7 city council candidates on the September 9th, 2025, ballot, and the many others stepping up: thank you. You remind us what democracy is supposed to look like.

The fact that Mayor Michelle Wu is running unchallenged is deeply concerning. We’ve lost a balanced and healthy exchange of ideas, strategies, and policies about Boston’s future. There’s little room left for genuine debate or diverse perspectives.

To those reading this: Don’t support a process that leaves people out. It has local and national implications. It shapes who gets heard, who gets seen, and who gets left behind.

Boston, we have a political problem. And only we can fix it.

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George "Chip" Greenidge, Jr. is a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, and Executive Director and Founder of the Greatest MINDS, a nonprofit dedicated to creating a new generation of civic-minded leaders in Boston. 

You can reach him at george.greenidge@gmail.com or IG georgegreenidgejr. or his website www.georgegreenidge.com.