25 Vying for 4 At-Large Seats

The mayor's race has gotten all the attention, but there are actually more people running for an at-large City Council seat this year. There are currently 25 people trying to secure the four at-large slots.

Which makes sense: If Mayor Tom Menino is the keystone on Boston politics, then removing him leads to all the other stones shifting and sliding into new places. Some would-be candidates are hedging their bets, taking out nomination papers for mayor and at-large city council. Others are focused on one race.

May 13 is the last day to take out nomination papers, so there's a small chance this list will grow. And there's no guarantee all 25 will return with the required signatures. For now, however, the ranks of at-large candidates are spread evenly across the city, whereas the mayoral candidates are clustered in the southerly, more-populated neighborhoods like Dorchester and Hyde Park.