Boston City Council at-large race: Julia Mejia

Politics

“Having grown-up low-income with an undocumented mother affords me the empathy necessary to move with urgency around the issues our residents face.”

Julia Mejia is running for an at-large seat on the Boston City Council. She has served on the council since 2019.

Find out more about Julia Mejia on her campaign website and social media.

The following responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

What is the biggest issue facing Boston residents at the moment and what do you believe the City Council should do to address this?

The biggest issue facing Boston residents is undoubtedly housing and the cost of living. Our communities are being displaced at an alarming rate. On the Council, we have a responsibility to push for stronger accountability from developers and city agencies to ensure that affordable housing commitments are actually met. We must also expand tenant protections, explore rent control, and invest in pathways to homeownership that allow working families to build generational wealth.

I also believe that a lack of transparency and accessibility in city government is a major issue. Too often, residents feel shut out of the decision-making process. If people were able to more easily express their concerns, access information, and see how their input shapes policy, we would be able to move the needle on all issues in a positive direction.

What makes you stand out from the other candidates in this race?

Unlike the other candidates in this race, I refuse to accept or give political endorsements. This is a principle I hold because I believe elected officials should be accountable only to the people they serve — not to other politicians or political power brokers. I also have lived the realities that many Bostonians face. Having grown-up low-income with an undocumented mother affords me the empathy necessary to move with urgency around the issues our residents face.

Moreover, I am the only candidate who has served as an At-Large Councilor under the first Trump administration and during the height of COVID-19. Governing in these uniquely troubling times has prepared me well for what is to come in the next three years under a hostile federal government.

Finally, out of all the incumbents, I have successfully passed the most legislation. In my five years on the Council, I have either led or co-sponsored over 20 pieces of legislation. Some that I am most proud of include establishing the Office of Black Male Advancement and the Office of Cultural Affairs, co-sponsoring and passing Ranked Choice Voting in Boston, and our Language Access Ordinance (mandating the City to release all communications in Boston’s leading 11 languages at the same time as English).

Do you think the public has lost faith in the City Council in recent years? If so, what do you think should be done to improve the council’s public image?

I think that many communities in Boston never had faith in the City Council, or in government as a whole. Decades of low voter turnout in communities of color make that painfully clear. As a community candidate, I hear time and again from residents who feel their votes don’t matter because despite endless campaign promises, their day-to-day struggles remain unchanged.

Restoring trust in government starts with political will and the courage to actually deliver for the people. Too often, politics prioritizes alliances with power brokers over the needs of residents. I reject that “business-as-usual” approach. I don’t give or accept political endorsements because my only allegiance is to the people I serve. That independence allows me to speak truth to power and remain fully accountable to the communities that have been ignored for far too long.