Josh Kraft has ended his campaign for mayor of Boston after a poor showing in the Tuesday primary against incumbent Mayor Michelle Wu (D).
The son of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft already seemed to be a long shot to win the race against Wu, who is running for a second term and has enjoyed widespread popularity in office. But the results confirmed what the polls suggested: that Wu is a clear favorite for reelection.
Wu and Kraft both advanced from the blanket primary as the two top performers facing only two minor candidates. But she received the overwhelming majority of votes with 72 percent to his 23 percent, setting her up well for victory in November.
Kraft, who previously served as the head of the New England Patriots Foundation and the Boys & Girls Club of Boston, ran as a more moderate Democrat against the progressive Wu but struggled to make inroads in the campaign. Following Tuesday’s results, he had initially vowed to continue with the campaign and said he would determine the path forward to try to win.
Kraft said in a statement on X on Thursday that he listened to his supporters, friends, family and Bostonians over the past few days and decided that ending his campaign would be best.
“I have determined that what is right for this city — during a time in America where we need to come closer together despite all our differences, instead of igniting divisiveness that pulls us further apart — is not to get caught up in more political mudslinging but rather, to drive the conversation forward in a meaningful way,” he said.
He said he wishes Wu well as she looks to address the issues facing Boston and added that he would continue to work to improve the city outside of the race, as he has for three decades.
“I remain concerned about our city, and I will continue to be a committed partner for all Bostonians — from City Hall to our vibrant neighborhoods — who remain committed to our best days being in front of us, not behind,” Kraft said.
With Kraft out of the race, the path forward for Wu’s reelection is even more clear.
Boston’s first female and first Asian American mayor said in a statement that she respects Kraft’s decision and thanked him for caring enough about the city to want to try to make it better.
“We are going to continue over the next two months and beyond to keep engaging our community members about the critical work in front of us and how we keep making Boston a safe, welcoming home for everyone,” she said.
