17 Boston Mayoral Candidates Submit Signatures

Seventeen possible Boston mayoral candidates submitted papers before Tuesday's 5 p.m. deadline at City Hall. That doesn't mean all 17 will be on the ballot in the September 24 election, as 3,000 individual signatures must be certified by June 25.

With 17 possible candidates vying for signatures across Boston, it is possible that some voters signed for multiple candidates, and signatures can only count once. First-come first-serve is the rule, so some signatures may be thrown out. 

But for now there are some heavyweights in the biggest Boston election in decades. City Councilors John Connolly, Felix Arroyo, Rob Consalvo and Mike Ross, have all thrown their hats in the ring, saying goodbye to their council seats, and are amassing growing campaign war chests.

Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley's campaign has more than $1 million, according to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, dwarfing the next highest total, Connolly's $489K. State Rep. Martin Walsh, D-Dorchester, as well as former state Rep. Charlotte Golar Richie, have all been working hard to expand their profile citywide in recent weeks showing up at events across the city. 

Dorchester's Bill Walczak has been able to raise his profile outside of his neighborhood since announcing his candidacy, and has a little more than $90K. Candidate John Barros left his position at the Boston School Commmittee to run for mayor.

One candidates who will surely entertain is Bostonbarstoolsports.com founder David Portnoy, who also submitted signatures.

As expected the at-large and district council races saw a large amount of possible candidates submit signatures. In total, 21 candidates submitted signatures for the at-large race. Candidates need to have 1,500 individual signatures certified for the at-large race. District council candidates need 200 signatures or fewer to make it onto the ballot.

Incumbents Ayanna Pressley and Stephen Murphy have submitted signatures, as have early noted first-time candidates Michelle Wu and Catherine O'Neill. Former City Council President Michael Flaherty is also running for an at-large seat again, after losing two years ago.

With the aforementioned district councilors leaving their seats to seek higher office, that has created some wide open races with lots of candidates. In District 5, there are 10 candidates who submitted signatures, the most candidates in any district race. District 8 with Ross leaving, has nine candidates who submitted signatures. And District 4, with incumbent Charles Yancey, who submitted signatures for both the district seat and the mayoral race, would face seven other candidates, if he stayed in the district race.

For a full list of possible candidates who submitted signatures please see the attached PDF.