Tania Fernandes Anderson cruised to an easy victory in the Preliminary Municipal Election on Tuesday, Sept. 12, to secure her reelection as District 7 city councilor in a five-way race.
According to the city’s unofficial election results, Councilor Fernandes Anderson, a 44-year-old Democrat and Dorchester resident who was elected in 2021 to succeed Kim Janey to represent Roxbury, Dorchester, and part of the South End, garnered just over 57 percent of the vote, or 1,448 ballots cast, in the election.
Althea Garrison, an Independent candidate and 82-year-old Dorchester resident who served short stints as both an at-large member of the Boston City Council and as a state rep for the 5th Suffolk district after being elected to those seats in 1995 and 2017, respectively, trailed Councilor Fernandes Anderson, with nearly 21 percent of the ballot, or 521 votes.
Roy Owens Sr., a former Boston Public Schools teacher and Roxbury resident who has made failed bids for City Council, state Senate, and Congress over the past 12 years, followed, with more than 9 percent of the ballot, or 238 votes.
Jerome King, a Dorchester resident who has worked for the state’s Department of Human Services, placed fourth in the race, with almost 8 percent of the ballot, or 200 votes cast.
Padma Scott, a vocal critic of Mayor Michelle Wu described by WBUR as an “anti-vaccine activist,” came in last, garnering nearly 3 percent of the ballot, or 71 votes cast.
An additional nearly 2 percent of voters (42 ballots cast) supported write-in candidates in the election.
After her victory in the Preliminary Municipal Election, Councilor Fernandes Anderson will proceed to the General Municipal Election on Tuesday, Nov. 7, and is expected to face her runner-up, Garrison, in the race.