Arroyo, who is known both as one of the council’s most progressive members and as a prolific legislator, is a scion of a well-known Boston political family and the first person of color to represent District 5, which includes Hyde Park, Roslindale and Mattapan. But in 2022, when he ran for Suffolk County District Attorney, the Boston Globe reported on two sexual assault allegations against him that dated back to his teenage years. Arroyo was never charged and has maintained his innocence.
Lara, whose district is anchored by Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury, was trying to advance to the final following a June car crash that damaged a Jamaica Plain home, injured her 7-year-old son, and resulted in multiple criminal charges.
At the Mary Curley School in Jamaica Plain Tuesday evening, as volunteers for Weber and King greeted voters, several voters told GBH News they had just cast votes for Lara.
“I think she’s done a great job in our district, and I’m really disgusted with, I guess, how stridently and how inaccurately people have smeared her in this election,” said Natalie Shure.
While journalists are certainly also voters and private citizens, it seems like a wild coincidence one of your person on the street quotes just happened to be a professional journalist/columnist.