John Barros

In the latest public polls on Boston’s mayoral race, at-large City Councilor Michelle Wu was far ahead of the pack, with a MassINC poll showing her with 30% of the vote, followed by acting Mayor Kim Janey with 15%, at-large Councilor Annissa Essaibi George with 13% and District 4 Councilor Andrea Campbell, 11%. Former chief of economic development John Barros polled at 4%.

With less than two weeks until the Sept. 14 preliminary in the mayoral election, at-large City Councilor Michelle Wu appears most likely to advance to the final election with councilors Annissa Essaibi George, Andrea Campbell and acting Mayor Kim Janey locked in a tight competition for the number two spot.

Acting Mayor Kim Janey announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for municipal employees at a press conference Thursday.

In a June poll from Suffolk University and The Boston Globe, respondents selected housing as the most important issue that would affect their vote for mayor.

Acting Mayor Kim Janey led the field of the six major mayoral candidates in fundraising for May with $162,794, but remains behind Michelle Wu and Andrea Campbell in total cash raised. The two city councilors each have raised about $1.2 million.

Of the six lead candidates running for mayor, none backs a fully elected school committee, only one supports rent control.

A new poll shows at-large City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George leading in the mayoral race with support from 22% of likely voters, inching ahead of at-large Councilor Michelle Wu, who had support from 18% and acting Mayor Kim Janey, who had support from 16%.

Could this year’s mayoral race, with three Black Candidates, a Latino candidate and an Asian candidate all running for the same seat, rupture the alliance that has dominated politics in Boston’s communities of color?

John Barros, who two weeks ago resigned as the city’s chief of Economic Development, kicked off his Boston mayoral campaign last Thursday at the Cesaria, the Bowdoin Street restaurant he co-founded, stressing his experience in city government, business and the nonprofit sector.