DA Dan Conley Announced His Run for Mayor of Boston

Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley announced his run for Mayor of Boston at a press conference last week.

“Boston is a great city, and with the right leadership and vision, its best days are still ahead,” said Conley. “So today I am officially declaring that I am a candidate for Mayor of Boston.

Following Conley’s announcement, City Councilor Rob Consalvo announced his intentions to run for mayor and late last week community organizer Bill Walczak.

City Councilor Mike Ross is expected to announce his candidacy later this week.

Some thought Conley, whose wide spread name recognition and a solid base of political support may scare off some would-be candidates vying for the open mayoral seat in November.

Conley, who hails from Hyde Park and has served as D.A. for 11 years, has over $800,000 in the bank for the mayoral run and could conceivably raise over $1 million in the next few months. This would put him significantly ahead of challenger City Councilor John Connolly’s campaign coffer.

Being from Hyde Park, Conley’s campaign could potentially force Councilor Rob Consalvo, also from Hyde Park, to drop his aspirations for a mayoral run. Consalvo has long been touted as a possible Mayor Thomas Menino successor. However without the voter base Conley enjoys and the fact the two would split votes in Hyde Park may force Consalvo to rethink his bid for mayor.

“My entire career has been dedicated to giving voice to the voiceless and hope to the most poor and vulnerable among us,” said Conley. “Boston needs to be a city where long-time residents and those fixed on incomes can feel secure, and where middle class families aren’t priced out. It means making Boston a place where younger residents can start careers and families, and where our poorest neighbors can find real economic hope and mobility.”

Conley, a former Boston City Councilor, said to make Boston the city we want it to be requires a mayor who can make tough decisions, even when they offend powerful interests and upset the status quo.

“It’s going to require a mayor who leads with integrity, for whom transparency is a way of doing business and not just a buzzword, and who will ensure that city government is responsive and accountable to the people it serves,” he said. “We’ll need a mayor who can manage and innovate in good times and tough times. We’ll need a mayor who has worked with residents and businesses in every neighborhood and has built partnerships with every conceivable constituency.”

Conley added that Boston needs a mayor who recognizes Boston as a city defined not by old divisions and superficial differences but by shared hopes and aspirations.

“I’ve done these things. These qualities are the hallmarks of my career and the leadership I will bring to the Mayor’s office,” he said. “So if you are like me and love this city and want to see it live up to its full promise and potential, then my campaign is your campaign.”

Conley said Boston can only reach its full promise and potential when every one of its residents has a fair chance to reach theirs.

“I intend to put my heart and soul (and several pairs of shoes) into this campaign,” he said. “I ask for your support, your energy, and your ideas and together we’ll make Boston the most livable and workable city in America.”