Political newcomer Brian Worrell won out in Boston’s District 4 on election night, winning a decisive victory against competitor Evandro Carvalho, a former assistant district attorney and state representative. Worrell is the only Black man elected to the Boston City Council this upcoming term.
Coming in at the end of the evening with 7,442 votes to Carvalho’s 4,597, Worrell will succeed Councilor Andrea Campbell who vacated the position to run for Mayor. Campbell gave an endorsement to Worrell just weeks before the election and took to Twitter to congratulate him on the win.
“District 4 is in good hands and I am proud to pass the baton to Brian as we continue the work of bringing resources to our residents, uplifting our civic leaders, and reforming systems that have been broken for far too long,” she wrote.
The 38-year-old real estate broker ran on a platform defined by his commitment to improving the economic health of the district, leveraging his experience as a business owner throughout the campaign. In a previous interview with the Banner Worrell said he wants to create “pipelines between workforce development programs and private institutions [that] will place our community in industries of the future such as healthcare, IT, renewable energy and trades.”
His message of prosperity mixed with an emphasis on public safety, affordable housing and education seemed to resonate with voters, as he won out in all but two precincts last Tuesday.
“I stand here because of this district’s dedication to the community and I want to thank the volunteers who took on leadership roles, knocked doors, and made this a collective effort,” Worrell said in a statement.
In addition to his endorsement from Campbell, Worrell also received support from the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association — a controversial move as the push for police reform continues in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police last year. Worrell told the Boston Globe in October that he supports increasing the number of police officers of color and favors “targeted police budget cuts.” In addition, he said he believes the endorsement is an “in” to deeper discussion about reforms, and that he promises to continue the work of his predecessor cracking down on abuse and fraud.
Worrell points to his team and efforts knocking on doors and getting out in the community as the reason for his success throughout the nearly year-long campaign.
“We ran this grassroots campaign for the people of District 4, disregarding the status quo and special interests that have not benefited our community,” he said.
Strategy it seems won out over money. Raising more than $75,000, compared to his opponent’s comparable but slightly higher $88,000, it appears that District 4 was decided by ground game and backing by key players.
“It has been a long campaign and I thank you all for your support. From the countless phone calls to the hours and hours spent going door to door in our community, your efforts have made this campaign a success,” Worrell’s statement goes on to say.
A Northeastern graduate, and owner of Greater Investments real estate, the Boston native takes on his next endeavor of leading his district at City Hall in just a few short months. The new council, including Worrell, convenes on January 3.
