Former Boston City Councilor and mayoral candidate Annissa Essaibi George is endorsing longtime nonprofit executive Josh Kraft in his bid to unseat Mayor Michelle Wu, just one day before the city’s preliminary election.
Essaibi George served as an at-large councilor for six years before she ran for mayor and lost to Wu in 2021, and previously worked as a Boston Public Schools teacher for 13 years.
“Josh is hyper focused on finding real solutions for the challenges we face in this city,” Essaibi George said in an interview. “It’s really important that there’s transparency in government, that there is access to decision makers, and when I think about true accountability for those that are experiencing the challenges in this city, there hasn’t been accountability, and I think Josh can provide that.”
Essaibi George’s endorsement of Kraft, which was first reported by the Boston Herald, comes after an Emerson College poll found that Kraft is trailing Wu by 50 percentage points.
Essaibi George acknowledged those findings, but emphasized that the most important numbers are the ones that come in on Election Day.
“Absolutely it’s necessary to acknowledge that Josh is the underdog,” she said. “I’ve been there, I’ve done that, I know how hard it is to do this work and to continue to stay motivated when those polls can be challenging. But it doesn’t mean that the work isn’t important.”
In a statement, Kraft said he is “humbled” to receive Essaibi George’s endorsement.
“She has been a leader in our community, both as a city councilor, a candidate for mayor, and in the nonprofit world for years and understands that this city needs change,” Kraft said in the statement. “Throughout her career, Annissa has fought for making Boston more accountable, transparent, and responsive to the residents.”
Niki Griswold can be reached at niki.griswold@globe.com. Follow her @nikigriswold.
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