Boston voters overwhelmingly supported incumbent Mayor Michelle Wu in Tuesday’s preliminary election. Meanwhile, chief rival Josh Kraft appears likely to move on to November’s ballot.
The Associated Press called the race for Wu just 18 minutes after polls closed. With 4.5% of the ballots counted, Wu led with 66.6% of the vote, to Kraft’s 28.3%. That dwarfed the other two mayoral candidates Domingos DaRosa and Robert Cappucci. The leading two vote getters in the nonpartisan preliminary election advance to the next round.
Fewer than 15% of of registered voters in Boston turned out as of 6 p.m., two hourse before polls closed, according to the city’s Election Department.
Wu had outrun Kraft in polling throughout the election season, with one survey last week giving her a 50-point lead.
The race is on track to be the most expensive in Boston history. Through August, Kraft, a philanthropist and son of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, raised $6.8 million (with roughly $5.5 million of that coming from his own bank account). Wu, meanwhile, has collected $1.8 million, according to state campaign finance records.
Money has been one of the key issues in the campaign — namely how much Kraft has spent on the campaign and where his money comes from. Wu has criticized Kraft for not releasing his tax returns and providing only a summary of his $6.3 income.
They’ve also clashed over the rebuilding of White Stadium. Kraft claims the plan hurts neighbors and the rate is skyrocketing, while Wu says it’s over budget but not by that much. And bike lanes have been a hot topic, with Kraft says the Wu administration installed too many, without solid planning.
Voters will decide whether to give Wu a second term or go with newcomer Kraft on Nov. 4. Voter registration for that election closes on Oct. 5.
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