Andrea Campbell entered the Blarney Stone on Dorchester Avenue to deafening cheers Tuesday night. The bar was packed with an incredibly broad cross-section of Bostonians — and after hugging what seemed like every single one of them, Campbell climbed atop the seat of a booth and gave a heartfelt speech.
"I want everyone to take a moment to look around this room," Campbell said. "Because every demographic you could imagine is represented. And that is freakin' incredible."
The crowd was celebrating Campbell's District 4 victory over 32-year incumbent City Councilor Charles Yancey.
Over the course of her campaign, Campbell got support from all corners of Boston's political map. Her endorsers included the Boston Globe and Boston Herald editorial pages, key labor unions, and the local gay and lesbian group Dot Out. (She was also backed by Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins and Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey, who's becoming something of a political queenmaker.)
In her victory speech, however, Campbell didn't dwell on those endorsements. Nor did she reference her remarkable life story, which includes childhood poverty and instability, college at Princeton University, a stint as deputy counsel in former Gov. Deval Patrick's administration — and a twin brother who died in the criminal justice system.
Instead, Campbell focused on the hard work she and her backers put in in the months leading up to the election.
"Our volunteers, me — we door-knocked!" Campbell said. "We knocked thousands of doors, over 20,000 doors we knocked. We made thousands of phone calls, thousands of phone calls."
"I had voters call me today who said, Andrea, I never met you, but I got the four notes you left on my doorstep. And that's what it takes."
Of course, all that diligence might have led nowhere if voters were fully satisfied with the incumbent and his performance. After her speech, I asked Campbell why she thought they'd chosen her over him.
"The biggest thing I heard on the doors was new blood, fresh perspective, new ideas, and about looking forward," she told me. "I think we focused on what do we want to do going forward, and not accomplishments just from the past — which we acknowledge and completely respect."
That conciliatory tone represents a shift from the preliminary election, when Campbell had harsh words for her opponent. On Tuesday, she said on multiple occasions that she respects Yancey, and that that respect made it easier for her to run what she described as a positive campaign.
Still, when she was asked what her top priorities will be once she takes office, Campbell seemed to criticize Yancey without naming him.
"I think people want to see me do a better job at constituent services," she replied, adding that that represents "the crux of the job."
Campbell also said she'll work to improve Boston's public schools, so that that fewer parents choose charter and parochial schools instead. (The councilor-elect attended Boston Latin.) And, she added, she hopes to work with Mayor Marty Walsh and the other members of the City Council to increase the availability of affordable housing.
Which is as good a time as any to note that Joyce Linehan, Walsh's chief of policy, stopped by the Blarney Stone Tuesday to congratulate Campbell in person.
"It's a nice change of the culture of the council," Linehan told me. "There are a lot of women on the council, which there haven't been historically. So I'm personally really excited to work with them on policy issues."
"I think it's a great victory for Dorchester," Linehan added. "I think Andrea is a great young talent that's going to bring a lot of new energy to the council. Very much looking forward to having her in City Hall."
