Ed Flynn claims votes for Boston City Council presidency

Ed Flynn, U.S. Navy vet, three-term district councilor from South Boston and son of former Mayor Ray Flynn, announced Wednesday he has enough support from colleagues to claim the City Council presidency when the new term begins in January.

Flynn, who was first elected to the council in 2017, made the announcement through a late-afternoon press release.

“I am honored that my colleagues have placed their trust in me to take on this role,” said Flynn. “I look forward to supporting all of our City Councilors and our exceptional Central Staff team as we work hard to provide city services to every community and make Boston the best city it can be.”

Though long largely symbolic, the council presidency takes on a new meaning during a term where the council is poised to assume more power in the budget process and will likely play a key role in determining the future membership of the School Committee.

The competition for the presidency is typically an opaque, internal process. Candidates make private pitches and promises to colleagues on things like committee assignments and policy priorities.

Multiple sources told GBH News that Flynn clinched the necessary votes after the two other councilors vying for the spot — Ricardo Arroyo and Kenzie Bok — each unsuccessfully tried to form coalitions with the optics of the council’s racial and ethnic makeup driving their bids for the spot.

Flynn emerged as a consensus candidate between the two.

Neither Bok nor Flynn responded to requests for comment, but Arroyo said in a statement Flynn is “one of the kindest and hardest-working” people he knows.

“I look forward to seeing how he utilizes those great qualities in this leadership role,” Arroyo’s statement said.

As Boston's pool of voters has grown more diverse, the intersection of politics, race, ethnicity and culture have assumed more import.

The new crop of councilors to be sworn into office in January reflect this new reality.

Ruthzee Louijeune, one of two new At-Large members to the council, is the daughter of immigrants from the island nation of Haiti.

Kendra Hicks, who was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America back in May, will take the Jamaica Plain–West Roxbury seat held by Matt O'Malley — a district that has long been considered a conservative bastion.

Tania Fernandes Anderson, who will replace current council president Kim Janey, originally hails from the African island nation of Cape Verde and will be the city's first Muslim councilor.

Brian Worrell, who will replace Andrea Campbell, garnered his predecessor's support along with that of the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association.

Erin Murphy, who was seated to the council early Wednesday, will also be part of the new class of councilors.

The council formally takes a vote for the presidency in January. Insiders concede that it is possible for alliances to shift in the interim.