On Tuesday, Boston voters elected their most diverse City Council in the city’s 389-year history. To assess what the election results could mean on a broader scale, on Thursday, Boston Globe columnist Shirley Leung joined Boston Public Radio.
“This group is young, they’re not gonna wait for change, they’re gonna grab it by the horns,” Leung said. “It’s really exciting."
Starting in January, the Council will be both majority-female and majority-people of color, for the first time ever.
Leung gave credit for much of the new energy to Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Presley, who made the transition to Congress in 2018 after serving nine years on Boston City Council. Since being elected to Congress, Presley has drawn positive attention in national left-leaning circles as a member of the so-called "Squad" of young, progressive congresswomen.
“If you think about it, Ayanna Presley gave a shot in the arm to any city councilor. You can go from city council to influential congresswoman, just like that. You see that already in this batch of candidates," she said.
