One of four announced candidates, Jack Kelly, has pulled out of the race for District 1 City Councilor. The Charlestown resident shared his decision Tuesday on Facebook :
Although I’ve spent most of my adult life in some capacity engaging in public or private service; this race was simply not in my heart.
After sitting councilor Sal LaMattina announced he was not running for re-election, Kelly was one of several who said they were looking to run for the vacated seat in a September primary. But as the deadline approached to filing papers, Kelly said he had reconsidered and would not run.
I give my best to all current candidates. I would encourage all voters in Charlestown, East Boston and the North End to ask hard questions and make independent conclusions of whom you will support/vote for.
Jack Kelly, 35, is the founder of the iRecovery mobile app and was previously a Charlestown neighborhood liaison for Mayor Menino. He also served on several boards related to recovery and combating addiction including Governor Baker’s Health Care Transition Team. In 2016, he joined the staff of District 2 City Councilor Bill Linehan. He studied political science and graduated from UMass Boston. Kelly previously ran for an at-large city councilor position in 2013.
District 1 includes the North End, Charlestown and East Boston. There are no party affiliations for the Boston City Council position. The field will be narrowed to two candidates in the September 26th preliminary election with the general municipal election on November 7, 2017.
With Kelly’s departure, announced candidates now include Stephen Passacantilli (North End), Lydia Edwards (East Boston) and Michael Sinatra (East Boston) in vying for the seat. Others that have indicated interest include Carmine Guarino (North End) and Jordan Frias (East Boston).
