Hill Voters Back Connolly in Mayoral Election

While registered voters citywide supported State Rep. Marty Walsh in his victorious bid to succeed Thomas M. Menino as the 54th mayor of Boston, Beacon Hill voters favored his rival candidate, City Councilor John Connolly, in last Tuesday’s municipal election.

According to the city’s unofficial election results, an average of approximately 83 percent of voters in Ward 3, Precinct 6 and Ward 5, Precincts 3, 4, 5 and 11 cast their ballots for Connolly while Walsh trailed with 17 percent. Citywide, 52 percent of voters supported Walsh while 48 percent backed Connolly.

Voter turnout on the Hill was around 39 percent – slightly more than the 38 percent of voters throughout the city who cast their ballots for mayor in the election.

In the race to replace outgoing District 8 City Councilor Mike Ross, Josh Zakim, a Back Bay resident and attorney with Greater Boston Legal Services, garnered 63 percent of votes in Ward 5, Precincts 3, 4, 5 and 11 while Michael Nichols, a Fenway resident and the city council’s director of research, finished with 37 percent.

In the race for the District 1 city council seat, approximately 74 percent of voters in Ward 3, Precinct 6 supported incumbent City Councilor Sal LaMattina while Brian Gannon, an East Boston resident and marketing professional, trailed with 25 percent.

In the race for four city council at-large seats, 23 percent of Beacon Hill voters supported Michelle Wu, a political newcomer and small business owner; 19 percent backed incumbent City Councilor at-Large Ayanna Pressley; 16 percent chose Jeffery Ross, an immigration attorney and elected member of the Democratic State Committee for the 2nd Suffolk Senate; and 13 percent cast their ballots for Michael Flaherty, a former city council president who gave up his seat in 2009 to make an unsuccessful Boston mayoral bid before failing to reclaim it two years later.

City Council President Stephen Murphy, who garnered less than 12 percent of votes on the Hill, was re-elected to his at-large seat after receiving 14 percent of the ballot throughout the city.

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