Incumbent’s advantage
Walsh cruises on official appearances
Less than a month before Election Day, Mayor Martin J. Walsh is crisscrossing the city at a frenetic pace, rushing from block parties to groundbreakings while doling out new grants and programs for Boston residents.
But it’s not what it looks like.
Walsh is doing very little actual campaigning, with almost all of the events and announcements coming out of the mayor’s taxpayerfunded office.
Since the beginning of this month, Walsh has held 21 “official” events, ranging from a soapbox derby in West Roxbury to a “cornhole” tournament in Charlestown.
During the same 10-day period, the mayor participated in just five campaign events, including two parades, a canvassing kick-off and two mayoral forums, according to schedules put out by his campaign.
Walsh’s office also has issued a blizzard of announcements and advisories over the past few weeks, including five alone just yesterday, ranging from artist fellowship awards to the appointment of a new chief digital officer. On Oct. 5, the mayor’s office put out no fewer than six announcements.
And you wonder why Walsh has a 35-point lead in the polls?
Call it incumbency protection, or just smart politics, but Walsh has been able to harness the powers of his office to overwhelm his opponent, City Councilor Tito Jackson.
While Jackson has had to struggle to get Walsh to agree to more than just two debates, the mayor has used his advantage in fundraising and visibility to keep his rival from gaining any traction.
Take a look at the first weekend of October. Walsh rushed from a reception at Harvard University to a ribbon-cutting in Allston, then to a groundbreaking in Allston and then to an evening open house in South Boston.
On Sunday, Oct. 2, the mayor started early at 7:45 a.m., helping to kick off a walk for breast cancer research in Boston, followed by a fall festival in Charlestown, a Boston Symphony Orchestra concert in Franklin Park, a “No Books, No Ball” awards gala and a speaking gig at the annual Forbes Under 30 conference.
The only campaign event Walsh held that weekend was a quick appearance at the Roslindale parade.
On the recent holiday weekend, Walsh upped his campaign activity a little, taking part in the Columbus Day parade, a canvass kick-off in the South End, and a forum in Dorchester. That doesn’t include any fundraising appearances that weren’t on Walsh’s schedule.
But he supplemented those events with four “official” mayoral appearances, including a block party in Allston, a Boston Athletic Association half-marathon and the soapbox derby and cornhole tournament.
It’s not even a fair fight compared to Jackson, who mostly toiled in the shadows as he fought to gain attention for his campaign.
The level of “official” activity — all paid for by Boston taxpayers in the middle of a campaign — shows why there hasn’t been a competitive incumbent Boston mayor’s race in decades. And why there won’t be as long as incumbents like Walsh get to use their not-so-secret weapon.