How Boston is governed and what City Hall is deciding: the mayor and the 13-member City Council, the city budget, housing and cost of living, public safety, schools, transportation and elections. Each section pairs our latest reporting with the official records you can check yourself.
Who runs City Hall
Boston has a strong-mayor system. The mayor runs city departments and proposes the annual budget, which the 13-member City Council (four at-large and nine district councilors) can amend and must approve. The council also passes local ordinances. Councilors serve two-year terms, so the next regular city election is in November 2027.
- Liz Breadon Council President; District 9
- Ruthzee Louijeune At-Large
- Julia M. Mejia At-Large
- Erin J. Murphy At-Large
- Henry Santana At-Large
- Gabriela Coletta Zapata District 1
- Edward M. Flynn District 2
- John FitzGerald District 3
- Brian Worrell District 4
- Enrique J. Pepén District 5
- Benjamin J. Weber District 6
- Miniard Culpepper District 7
- Sharon Durkan District 8
Roster: City of Boston, retrieved Oct. 17, 2026.
2025 city election results
| Candidate | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Michelle Wu | 78,997 | 93.3% |
| Josh Kraft (write-in) | 1,128 | 1.3% |
| Domingos DaRosa (write-in) | 114 | 0.1% |
| Robert Cappucci (write-in) | 57 | 0.1% |
| All others | 4,426 | 5.2% |
Share of votes cast for candidates, blank ballots excluded. Total ballots: 96,405. Josh Kraft appears as a write-in candidate in the official results. Official source.
| Candidate | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Ruthzee Louijeune | 54,885 | 19.3% |
| Julia M. Mejia | 47,770 | 16.7% |
| Erin J. Murphy | 46,709 | 16.4% |
| Henry A. Santana | 44,206 | 15.5% |
| Frank K. Baker | 28,526 | 10.0% |
| Alexandra E. Valdez | 23,468 | 8.2% |
| Marvin Dee Mathelier | 21,101 | 7.4% |
| Will Onuoha | 17,540 | 6.1% |
| All others | 1,170 | 0.4% |
Share of votes cast for candidates, blank ballots excluded. Total ballots: 96,405. Voters could choose up to four candidates, so shares are of all at-large votes. Official source.
| Ward | Ballots cast | Wu share of votes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4,361 | 92.3% |
| 2 | 3,516 | 88.7% |
| 3 | 6,489 | 91.9% |
| 4 | 3,086 | 92.9% |
| 5 | 4,700 | 91.7% |
| 6 | 3,983 | 82.9% |
| 7 | 2,958 | 83.9% |
| 8 | 1,627 | 93.2% |
| 9 | 2,388 | 94.6% |
| 10 | 2,639 | 97.2% |
| 11 | 4,553 | 96.8% |
| 12 | 2,364 | 96.8% |
| 13 | 2,842 | 93.5% |
| 14 | 3,119 | 98.0% |
| 15 | 1,656 | 95.9% |
| 16 | 4,861 | 87.3% |
| 17 | 3,810 | 96.1% |
| 18 | 10,971 | 95.9% |
| 19 | 6,878 | 97.2% |
| 20 | 10,574 | 89.5% |
| 21 | 4,633 | 96.6% |
| 22 | 4,397 | 94.7% |
Official results by ward from the City of Boston Election Department. Share is of votes cast for mayor, blanks excluded.
Mayor and City Council
Massachusetts Question 3: Wu, Baker Split on All-Party Primaries
Mayor Wu Opposes Question 8 Marijuana Repeal in Massachusetts
Boston City Council Backs Question 6 Conservation Fund
Boston City Council Backs Tenant Right of First Refusal Bill
Official records: City Council agendas and hearings · Mayor's Office
Budget, taxes, housing and cost of living
Mayor Wu Uses BPDA Powers for Housing Tax Incentives on 1,400 Units
Boston Property Tax Assessments: Council Questions Luxury vs. Working-Class Gap
Boston Office Rents Hit Record at Top as Law Firms Trade Up
Boston FY27 Budget: $4.9B Plan, Taxes and BPS Costs
Official records: City budget documents · Mayor's Office of Housing
Public safety, policing, homelessness and justice
Tremont Street Bike Lane: Mission Hill Safety Work Starts
Harvard Antisemitism Case: Trump Fight, Courts and What’s Next
Boston Council Weighs Police Detectives Pay Deals
Mattapan Gun Arrest: Man Aimed Pistol at Officers, BPD Says
Official records: Boston Police Department · Suffolk County District Attorney
MBTA, transportation and public works
Nubian Square Fire: Council Seeks Immediate Business Relief
MBTA Car-Free Seniors Free Fares: Who Qualifies and How to Enroll Oct. 13
MBTA Holiday Schedule Oct. 12: What Runs on Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Boston Small Business Economy: Sales, Jobs, New Openings
Official records: MBTA board meetings · Boston Transportation Department
Boston Public Schools and education
Boston Council Probes BPS English Learner Spending
Boston School Committee Oct. 14: $82M in Grants on Agenda
Boston School Bus Cameras: City Seeks Stop-Arm Vendor
BPS MBTA Ads Pulled Days After Launch, Sparking Dispute
Official records: Boston School Committee
City elections and voting
Beyond Governor: Massachusetts Senate, House and Ballot Questions on Nov. 3
Boston Early Voting Opens Oct. 17 for November 3 Election
Massachusetts Question 9: What a Yes or No Vote Means
2026 Midterm Elections: Control of Congress, Key Dates and What to Watch
Official records: Boston Election Department
Following a developing story
For major City Hall stories we list the officials involved, the ordinance, order or docket number, the public records behind it, the key dates (hearings, votes, deadlines) and who it affects. City Council dockets and hearing video are on the council’s official page; budget documents are on the city budget site.
State races on Boston ballots this year, including the 7th and 8th congressional districts and Suffolk County offices, are in the Massachusetts Election Tracker.