Boston Council presidency shifts in last minute upset: ‘She has impressed me’
Speaking to her colleagues on Boston City Council, District 9 Councilor Liz Breadon said Monday that she hadn't considered running for council president until less than 24 hours before.
But just a few minutes later, the council voted 7-6 to elect her to the position over District 4 Councilor Brian Worrell.
"In this moment we must govern with real urgency. At the federal level, we face deep uncertainty, attacks on democratic norms, on civil rights and the social safety net that so many Bostonians rely on," she said after the vote. "In this context, cities matter more than ever."
The 13 members of the council were sworn in for a new term Monday morning, with just one new face, District 7 Councilor Miniard Culpepper , joining the body. They then went straight to City Hall to hold their first meeting of the year and choose a successor to the previous president, Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune, who led the council for two years.
Just a week after the November municipal election, District 1 Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata announced that she believed she had the votes to become the next council president .
But over the weekend, Coletta Zapata revealed that she had reconsidered seeking the nomination, though she did not provide a reason why.
"I'm thankful for those who supported me and I look forward to serving my next term focused on my constituents, protecting Bostonians from divisive federal attacks, and in the health and well-being of my growing family," she said in a statement to the Dorchester Reporter, referring to her other recent news that she is expecting her first child in May.
Coletta Zapata was one of the councilors who threw her support behind Breadon during Monday's council meeting, alongside Louijeune and Councilors Sharon Durkan, Enrique Pepén, Henry Santana and Ben Weber.
The last-minute shake-up sparked some tension among the council. Before the vote, Councilor Erin Murphy alluded to Coletta Zapata's November announcement, saying, "Leadership is not demonstrated by declaring victory before a vote is taken."
Boston City Councilor Julia Mejia speaks before a new council president is elected on Monday, Jan. 5.Tréa Lavery/MassLive
Councilor Julia Mejia, too, criticized what she described as "a lot of shenanigans" happening behind closed doors in the campaign for council president. She implied that her colleagues who had originally backed Coletta Zapata had turned to Breadon as an alternative.
"All eyes are on us to demonstrate that we are independent and that we can make decisions for ourselves and that we don't have people behind the scenes dictating who is going to be my leader," she said. "At the last minute, because a group of people cannot hold onto power, [they] have decided to orchestrate a whole different campaign."
Mejia, who is a frequent advocate for more transparency in city government, had initially also said she was vying to lead the council, breaking from tradition by announcing her candidacy publicly on social media. She shared a series of videos about the process of selecting the City Council president, saying she would prioritize transparency if chosen.
She said Monday that she had thrown her name in that "just to be disruptive" and was disappointed that the contest had still come down to a nominee who "has admitted that they weren't even thinking about it up until last night."
Those who voted for Breadon, however, emphasized her ability to build bridges across different sides of an issue.
"She has impressed me with her ability to bring people together, to embrace, in an often tempestuous storm, for calm," Weber said. "I hope that she can bring calmness and deliberation to this body so we can address the really difficult challenges that we have facing us."
Breadon, an immigrant from Northern Ireland, was first elected in 2019, becoming the first openly LGBTQ+ member of the City Council. Before entering politics, she worked in healthcare as a physical therapist.
Before Monday's vote, she admitted that she had not originally intended to run for the position, but said she felt she was ready to lead.
"We have to work together," she said. "As a long-serving councilor from Northern Ireland who appreciates that political difference can be very profound at times, we cannot let political difference, ideology or misunderstandings get in the way of doing the work for the people of Boston."
City Councilor Brian Worrell speaks during a council meeting on Monday, Jan. 5, during which he narrowly lost to Councilor Liz Breadon in the election for council president.Tréa Lavery/MassLive
Worrell said before the vote that his own upbringing as a Black man in Dorchester taught him the importance of good government.
"I grew up in a neighborhood shaped by policies. Policies that contributed to shorter life expectancy, limited access to quality education and kept families out of housing," he said. "Boston can and must be the place where no one is written off, where everyone can see your future and where systems we build pull in the same direction."
Boston Politics
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