Josh Kraft Plans To Run For Boston Mayor

tonight about the potential Boston mayors race. Now, there are several news media outlets, all of which are reporting in some form of fashion that coording here for the Boston Globe that Josh Kraft plans to jump into Boston Mayor's race. Source to say the sub headline of a piece by Emma plot Off, plat Off and Nikki Griswold is the Craft desiring February for a formal announcement, said people with

knowledge of his plans. I did speak with someone today who has who told me they have been in contact with Josh Kraft directly and that he's as of now inclined to jump in, and that he will he will jump in, but he's not a candidate yet, so I think we need to make that very clear. He's not confirmed. To the best of my knowledge, I can't see that

anyone has been able to reach him. But he by way of background, he's fifty seven years of age, so he's a little older than he come at Mayor Michelle wou For the last twelve years or so, he has been involved quite heavily with the Boys and Girls Club of Boston. He's described by The Globe as a longtime nonprofit leader and the younger son a billionaire in New England, Patriots owner Robert Craft, and the Globe story says he's decided to challenge Michelle Woop. There's been a lot of

talk about him jumping in to the race. It's always difficult to beat an incumbent mayor, particularly in Boston. That hasn't happened since nineteen forty nine. So we're talking about what seventy five years ago or now seventy six years ago, so quite a number of elections, I mean, in our lifetimes.

Most of us remember Kevin White being elected in the nineteen sixties and being re elected in nineteen seventy one, seventy five, and seventy nine, then choosing not to run in nineteen eighty three, at which point ray Flynn and a bunch of city others ran for the office, and ray Flynn eventually beat mel King in a race that was could have been a tough race for Boston, particularly in the years closely following school busing from the nineteen seventies.

Ray Flynn remained until he was appointed US Ambassador to the Vatican by then President Bill Clinton, and upstepped a Boston City council named Tominino served as mayor for twenty years. He was succeeded in twenty thirteen by Marty Walsh, who stayed for two elections. In twenty thirteen he won, and then again in twenty seventeen, and then in twenty twenty one he decided to move on. He's now the head

of the NHL Players Association and very happy. I suspected that job probably pays much more than does to be mayor of Boston. We had an interim mayor and then Mayor Wu was elected in twenty twenty one, and she is now in her fourth year, just having given birth to her third child. Like most incumbents, she has the

advantage of the incumbency. But as a mayor in San Francisco, who Josh Craft might draw some solace from a woman mayor by the name of London Breed who was defeated by the new mayor out there by the name of Daniel Lurie. He is the heir to the Levi Strauss family fortune. In terms of mayor wu she certainly has pleased many people by spending one hundred and twenty one million dollars on the installation of bike lanes. She's also displeased a lot of people with that. She has been

in fights with restaurant owners in the North End. She's supported the demolition of White Stadium, which there are some in the in the Roxbury, the Bluehill Avenue community, you know, and that is the Bluehill Avenue with White Stadium. They're not happy about that because it's considered White Stadium is considered sort of something for the school athletes, scholar athletes in the Boston public schools. And now we'll have a its primary tenant will be a women's professional soccer team.

But that has caused some controversy as a matter of fact, as watching the news tonight and I guess right now groups are poised to raise are a ze, raise White Stadium.

A lot of memories there. Of course, Mayor Wu has also been the bearer of bad news by having to send out property taxes for this coming fiscal year twenty twenty fifth scool year twenty twenty six, after having petitioned Beacon Hill to give her some flexibility in adjusting the property tax balance between commercial and residential real estate, and that has did not go well on Beacon Hill for a mayor of Boston, which was somewhat of a surprise. We had Nick Collins on the other night. So I

don't know much about Josh Kraft. Everyone that I have spoken to who knows him, and I have spoken to a number of people in the last in the last couple of days speak well, the last day, I should say to be to be actually thoroughly accurate, spokes speaks very highly of him. And someone who has deep roots in the philanthropic community here in Boston and has obviously the ability to probably raise money and also spend some

of his own money. I think that was one of the factors that the City councilor Ed Flynn took into consideration when he decided a little over a week ago that it was not in the cards for him to run for mayor against Michelle Woo, although he's been a critic of the mayor, so I think it might present a very interesting race. I don't think that Michelle Wu has certainly convinced me that her long term political aspirations

end at Boston City Hall. I think all of us who knew Mayor Menino when he served as mayor realized that that was a job that he truly loved and that he was totally content to serve as Mayor of Boston as he did for twenty years. He did not aspire to the Senate. He did not aspire to going to Congress. And I think that, in my opinion, and I haven't talked to Mayor Wu in a couple of years, that she is eyeing the Senate seats of either whoever

decides to leave first Senator Warren or Senator Market. Now that's speculation on my part, but I do believe that she fashions herself much more as someone who will be onto what's called considered a higher office. I don't know that that will work well for her. I don't know. If you share that point of view, you may feel that she's mayor for life. She just turned forty years

of age. Tom Minino came to the office at a later point in his life, but it was very clear from the beginning that Tom Monino really loved Boston and loved the job of being mayor. And I don't care. I think he could have been elected for a long time if his health had not cut his time short. But he served twenty years Mayor Kevin White ser of sixteen years. So that's my thoughts. But I want to hear from you, if you live in Boston. I love to know. Do you welcome a race. Look, we've had years.

Tom Menino had a couple of elections when he didn't really have They'd always be an opponent, but not a serious opponent. I think, josht if the election were held today, someone said to me, someone who has knowledge, probably more knowledge than I have, or maybe more insight than I have, said to me that if the election were held today,

probably Mayor will would prevail. But elections are not held in January except when they have a special election to fill the seat of Ted Kennedy back in twenty ten. But elections are not held in January. They're held in the fall. And Josh if he has the funding, if he has the support of members of the business community, if he has support of those who are attracted to someone who is philanthropic and who has spent a lot

of time in positions and posts. He could have been in a much more glamorous post associated with the New England Patriots, of which his dad owns the team, but he chose to work at the Boys and Girls Club as the executive director, and even today, Adrian Walker in The Boston Herald, who I think has a pretty good pulse of the city of Boston, characterized him as a

long time do gooder. I think that's a compliment. I do believe that it's a compliment, and Walker writes apparently he meaning Craft, had decided that there's enough discontent with WU to make an opponent viable, but he spent He said. Craft has never run for any office before, but he spent twelve years running the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston and built a significant fan base, particularly in low

income neighborhoods and communities of color. He's an engaging president and rooms in which right rich white men are uncommon. Add to that his family's name, recognition and money, and you have the beginnings of a credible insurgent campaign. So I'd love to know what you think. Six one, seven, two, five, four, ten thirty, six one seven, nine three one, ten thirty and triple eight nine to nine, ten thirty. My name

is Dan Ray. This is Nightside, and we're talking about a potential a real mayor's race, which is always good for for a city to have a real mayor's race here in Boston this year of twenty twenty five. Coming back on Nightside right after this break.

under her watch. But another thing I wanted to ask you when it's I hope you don't mind she appeared on your show only once. Is that correct?

and she was very respectful. She said, you know, good evening to the mayor, and they exchanged pleasantries and she asked a question and Mayor Wu responded really very well to the question. I thought she had the better of the Mayor had the better of the exchange. And it was about a two minute conversation, not particularly long. And the next day her press secretary called me and was offended. How could I let this police officer talked on the

air to talk to the mayor? And I thought that this so called media person probably didn't understand how it works. So I explained that, I said, well, let me tell you how it works. We have a guest and we invite callers to join us. We give out the phone number and when callers get you know, get through on

the line as this person did. We basically take them as they come in and and I just thought it was absolute arrogance of this press flack to call an even question that, and to suggest that somehow I would keep a caller off the air who treated the mayor politely, by the way, who was very respectful. I just thought that was so unprofessional. And I was convinced that I was going to hear back from Mayor Willwood some point say gee, my press person is young and they're enthusiastic,

and I apologize. They never should have made a call like that. It was just totally unprofessional. Never heard back from her. So I've mentioned that story a couple of times in the year, and my attitude is that that she must agree. I assume the mayor must agree with her press flack, and in that case then there's probably no reason to have her back on because although we had a very pleasant hour, it must have upset her

for her plus fresh flag to be so upset. So anyway, that's that's that's the truth, that is the true story.

as smoothly as she would have liked. The bike lanes, I've been a critic of bike lanes since before Mayor Wu became mayor has got nothing to do with Mayor Wu except she's now spent one hundred and twenty one million dollars on bike lanes. But no, I've had a I mean, Mayor Menina was always on the show. Mayor Walsh was on the show a bit. Ray Flynn had been on the show quite a bit, and I was hoping to be able to continue that with Mayor Wu. She and I have at least one very close mutual friend,

and I've explained that to the mutual friends. So again it's look, she doesn't need me to run for reelection, and I can cover the reelection with or without her as a guest. And again it's her choice. She's welcome here, She's welcome to come on any night. I don't hold grudges against people, but certainly I think that her press person was very unprofessional and it almost it's so I was like, yeah.

asked that question, I wanted to answer it. Okay, good talking to you, Dan, but great, good talking with you. We'll take a quick break here news at the bottom of the hour a minute or so late, be right back. I like to join us one line at six one seven, two five, four ten thirty one at six one, seven, nine thirty back on night Side.

And he's not someone who I'm especially close to. But from everyone who I know and who I respect, they say that he's done great work in Boston, including Adrian Walker in the Boston Globe today. Was it today? Yes, it's Today's Boston Globe. Yeah, Wednesday a challenge from Craft which again a pretty positive piece by Adrian Walker. Let me go next to Whole's Julius and Newton. Julius, you were next on Nightside. Welcome. How are you, sir?

And he could have, I'm sure, had a role within the Patriots organization, but he in turn decided to work I guess what I would call the philanthropic sector, which is something that is a feather in his hat in my opinion. But hey, we'll we'll see. I hope to have him on the show at some point. Never had him on the program as a guest. I can guarantee

you that. And if he get on, he would be treated fairly, just like Mayor Wu was treated fairly, and I would ask tough questions and callers would have a chance to call, and that have to take phone calls. You know, we don't let people know public office come on and not take phone calls. So he's more than welcome to come on any nine of his choosing, before or after his announcement, assuming that the announcement occurs as scheduled in early February. And again, I always like to

not throw cold water on it. But say, hey, when someone says yes, I am a candidate, then they're a candidate. When there are press leaks or media leaks that say he intends to well, people sometimes have been known to back away from that at the last moment. So we'll see what happens.

mostly Democrats. You know, Laurie Trahan comes on Seth Seth Moulten, was that, except, Yeah, Elizabeth Warren has never been on the show. The only shows that she's that she goes on our shows. Who are going to protect her? She's she's she's considered herself to be a national figure from the moment she arrived here. Okay, uh, And so I gave up long ago. We will always do the courtesy of saying we're going to do a story that's critical. If she likes to come up, we know what the

answer is going to be. But you have had you know, Richie Neil, the the the chair of the you know, uh well, he was the chair of the uh the Ways it means committee when the Democrats are in power of Jim McGovern, Jake Uchincloss, Steve Lynch has been on many, many times, many times.

I'm looking for all sorts of perspectives that we might have here, and I think he's someone who most people are going to think very highly of. Thanks Julius.

four ten thirty, six one seven, nine, ten thirty. I got Frank and Boston coming up. On the other side, I got some open lines here we will get to this guyon of President Trump his executive orders, uh, some of which I think we're long overdue, some of which I think were a little bit uh questionable at least one. And I'll talk about that, uh and we'll we'll continue with our conversation as I say, six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.

If you'd like to share a perspective about Josh Kraft, who apparently is about ready to announce for mayor and we will have a mayor's race when that happens. If that happens here in Boston, feel free to join the conversation. I also have a line open at six one, seven, nine three, one ten thirty. Back on night Side.

because I tuned in in the middle. I don't know if you've been talking about this yet, but obviously via inaugurations on everybody's mind and those executive orders that Trump signed, and I was curious to know where you stand on the blanket pardons for everybody, including the people who attacked and injured police officers that day, and so will I will give you.

a person like that should be prosecuted. But someone who attacked a police officer, someone who broke windows, smashed doors, and beyond the head of the Proud Boys and some of these weirdo groups and organizations, why you would paint with such a broad brush. And as a matter of fact, I previewed it today. I said, the the president's executive orders, I said the good, the bad, and the questionable, and

that was some very, very questionable. And by the way, his own vice president a week ago said the violent offenders of January sixth should not be should not be pardoned or have the sentence commuted as as.

we'll get into that after the ten oclog News. Joyce, I don't think I will disappoint you tonight.

news and I can preview. I'll preview what is coming up after the ten We are going to talk about the inauguration, going to talk about the inauguration speech, going to talk about the executive orders which are still continuing from President Trump, and Joyce sort of anticipated what I'm going to talk about. But one of the orders that I disagree with is this blanket pardon? I think it was an absolute mistake. I think disgraceful to be to put it in in clear language. I will expand on

that right after the ten o'clock news. Is Dan Rey on night side six one seven, two, five four, ten thirty If you want to jump on early six one seven, two five four ten thirty or six one seven nine three one ten thirty. We'll be talking about this right after the ten o'clock news. Get for Get in line,