John Barros, Boston's former chief of economic development, launched his campaign for Boston mayor on Thursday, becoming the fifth candidate in the race. Barros ran for mayor in 2013, placing sixth in the preliminary race that Mayor Marty Walsh would go on to win. He spoke to Boston Public Radio on Friday about why he's running again.
"[Back in 2013], I feel like I ran out of time — we picked up huge momentum, we beat a number of sitting city councilors, we really had a great showing, and people all around the city were excited about what we wanted to do," he said. "I feel like this is an extension of that time, and I've got an opportunity to extend that run and keep going."
Barros is the second Black candidate to enter the race. No person of color or woman has ever been elected mayor of Boston.
"Boston is more ready to embrace a conversation about racial identity and about why people think Boston is such a racist place," he said. "I think we get a bad rap — we've got issues, but it'd be great for us to show up in a different way as America is coming out of the pandemic, and we're retelling our story of who we are, rebranding, and asking people to come back to Boston."
Boston is currently losing money, talent, and economic productivity because people feel unwelcome here, Barros said, adding that creating a more inclusive city isn't just the right thing to do morally, but is the best thing for the city economically.
"We need to make sure that this is not just about doing the right thing, but that it's about the thing that is smart and makes us more competitive," he said. "It's about creating a Boston that continues to grow, because we have the right diversity and talent pool."
