Why I'm proud of Boston, and will be voting for John Connolly

I'm very proud to be a Bostonian right now.

We have a pretty amazing field of candidates for Mayor - all thoughtful, skilled, and experienced men and women from all over the city. Politically, ranging from moderately liberal to fairly liberal leaning - any one of whom could be elected and we could sleep soundly at night. More than that - with all of the candidates, we've seen overwhelmingly positive campaigns focused on the issues and helping our city grow - rather than tearing each other down. That is just amazing. 

That said - while many inspiring, skilled individuals are running for Mayor, there is one in the field who stands out for me - City Councilor John Connolly.  And I wanted to share why.

All of the candidates support improving our schools. But John Connolly is the only one who stepped up with his own progressive plan during the school district re-zoning. That took guts - when all of the city's proposals fell short, he put out his own.   It was a bold, politically risky move - but he did what was needed, not what was easy.  That type of action speaks to me.

When I ran the sibling grandfathering campaign to keep my kids together in school - a single mom fighting a huge city bureaucracy - his office reached out to me in support. John Connolly wrote to me personally, saying he was behind me and offering help if I needed it. I am 100% certain that without John's support in his Quality Choice Plan, we would not have achieved the victory we did.

All of the candidates speak a good talk about growing opportunities for small businesses, especially the biotech and tech industries. But no other candidate seems to recognize how uniquely suited to innovation Boston is - and again – it’s all about our schools. From Kindergarten to our prestigious Universities - we can supply tech companies with their most important resource - great people, and relationships with great partners. We are Boston's greatest assets. And John Connolly knows it, and wants to give Boston's children the opportunities to achieve their potential. His business plan benefits everyone from top to bottom. That is good for Boston, and takes vision, and persistence to implement.

All of the candidates support the arts, our incredible parks, and "greening" Boston. They all see the need for transportation improvements, gun control, and safer neighborhoods. All of the candidates recognize the strength in our diversity, and the importance of safe, affordable housing. 

But you know who stands out? The one person who threw his hat in the race before Mayor Menino stepped out - John Connolly. He has the courage and boldness we'll need to take these great ideas we all share - and make them happen. We have so much potential, Boston. We have what it takes to be a truly world class city, and leave no one behind. I believe John Connolly can get us there, and I'll be voting for him on the 24th. I hope you'll join me.