The day after Election Day, both Boston Mayoral candidates went back to work. Marty Walsh to the Statehouse, John Connolly to City Hall.
City councilor John Connolly looked tired the day after losing the election. With a new baby at home, Connolly admitted he isn’t sad to be off the campaign trail.
“I played with my kids this morning all morning for the first time in a long time,” he said.
Connolly announced his candidacy in February and attended many events almost every day since.
“I’m glad it’s over. Win or lose, it was a long run. I’m glad I did it. I wouldn’t change a thing. I respect the decision of the voters, I’m excited for Marty Walsh, I think he’s going to do a good job and I’m excited for my future, whatever it will be.”
On Wednesday it was participating in a somewhat tedious discussion of the Boston Public School facilities, which took up the better part of an hour.
“Well, it’s awesome to be back on the city council," Connolly joked.
Fellow councilor Matt O’Malley, who won reelection, gave a brief nod to Connolly’s campaign.
“I just wanted to rise to acknowledge our colleague and our friend John Connolly. I was proud to stand with him and by him on a campaign that really exemplified his class and his character. He did this body proud, he did southwest Boston proud. We obviously all congratulate our mayor-elect Marty Walsh who will be a better mayor because of that campaign.”
It’s not clear what Connolly will do next. The former teacher-turned-lawyer will soon lose his seat on the City Council – a seat he’s held for three terms. When asked if he’d consider working in Walsh’s administration, he smiled.
“I haven’t thought about anything like that, but I think my next job, I want to make sure I can tuck my kids in at night. It’s not about Marty or me, it’s about what I’m looking for.”
Connolly was disinterested in talking about what he could have done differently. But he gave one suggestion: perhaps with more money he could have better defended accusations that he's an elitist lawyer. But he says he's accepted the loss, and moreover, hopes to keep his friendship with Marty Walsh, one that existed before they were political rivals.
