Politics
Willie Burnley Jr. is challenging incumbent Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, a two-term mayor who was first elected in 2021. Councilor Jake Wilson is also running.
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Somerville City Councilor Willie Burnley is joining a somewhat crowded race for Somerville mayor ahead of the election later this year.
Burnley, an at-large councilor first elected in 2021, announced his bid for mayor Sunday on Instagram. The progressive councilor noted his advocacy and legislation supporting renters, and said as mayor, he would “implement a Green New Deal for Somerville Public Schools.”
“With a federal administration determined to roll back our rights, decisive local leadership is more important than ever,” Burnley said in a statement announcing his campaign. “I believe I can bring our community together around shared values that will create a safer, more sustainable, and economically stronger Somerville.”
Burnley is challenging incumbent Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, a two-term mayor who was first elected in 2021 as the successor to former Mayor Joe Curtatone, who had served since 2004. Councilor Jake Wilson is also running for the job, The Boston Globe reported in December.
In a new campaign video, Burnley, a renter who said he was at one time priced out of Somerville, is seen at at Yafa Bakery and Arts at the Armory.
“Somerville is a city of squares. A city filled with artists, educators, and entrepreneurs, all fighting to make our home a better place,” Burnley said in the video. “We deserve a mayor who will fight just as hard to transform our shared values into a reality.”
Burnley made headlines as one of…