Democratic District 8 candidate Kenzie Bok and her Republican rival Jennifer Nassour will advance to the Nov. 5 municipal election after earing the most respective votes in the Sept. 24 primary election.
According to the unofficial election results, Bok garnered more than 50 percent of the ballot, or 2,032 votes cast, while Nassour trailed with around 18 percent of the ballot in the race for the seat to represent Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Fenway-Kenmore, Mission Hill and the West End, which is currently held by Councilor Josh Zakim.
Bok, an affordable housing advocate, community leader and the former chair of the Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committee, said she is “very proud of the collective effort that got us to come in a strong first.”
Said Bok: “I’m respectfully proud that we won in every neighborhood….and I’m thankful for everything people did in the neighborhoods to make it happen.”
Bok said the election results speak to the urgency of tackling affordable housing, transportation, education and climate change, all of which are issues she focused on during her campaign.
Nassour, an attorney who chaired the Massachusetts Republican Party from 2009 to 2011, said she is “really proud of work my small and mighty team did.”
Said Nassour: “The issues I’ve focused on since Day One are everyday, quality-of life-issues…which differ throughout the district. At this point, I’m not looking to campaign on big blanket issues, but instead help people improve their quality of life and create a city government that’s more accountable and effective, and that works for individuals and families who live and work in all our neighborhoods.”
Other candidates in the race included Hélène Vincent, a social and environmental justice activist and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, who received nearly 15 percent of the ballot, or 587 votes cast; Kristen Mobilia, a community leader and advocate who received nearly 13 percent of the ballot, or 511 votes cast; and Montez Haywood, a longtime prosecutor with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, who received less than 4 percent of the ballot, or 149 votes cast. All three candidates ran as Democrats.
“I wasn’t surprised by the results,” State Rep. Jay Livingstone said. “Kenzie was the best candidate and ran by far the best campaign, and the results show. I look forward to her serving as my city councilor.”
Back Bay voters in Ward 5, Precincts 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 cast 608 ballots for Bok, 279 for Nassour, 140 for Vincent, 94 for Mobilia and 18 for Haywood.
Beacon Hill voters in Ward 3, Precinct 5 and 6 and Ward 5, Precincts 3, 4, 5 and 11 cast 759 ballots for Bok, 262 for Nassour, 137 for Vincent, 56 for Mobilia and 90 for Haywood.
Fenway-Kenmore voters in Ward 4, Precinct 6, 7 and 10 and Ward 5, Precinct 2-A cast 187 ballots for Bok, 31 for Nassour, 51 for Vincent, 153 for Mobilia and 11 for Haywood.
Around 14 percent of 33,500 registered voters cast their ballots in the District 8 race while slightly more than 11 percent of 402,536 voters citywide participated in the election.