Josh Kraft

Days after emerging from a field of four Boston mayoral candidates with a nearly 50-point deficit between himself and the incumbent, Josh Kraft announced Thursday that he is dropping out of the race.

In a lopsided victory that underscores the power of incumbency in Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu bested challenger Josh Kraft with a 48-point lead, winning 71% of the preliminary vote in unofficial results posted by the city’s Election Department.

Just days before Boston’s preliminary mayoral election, Mayor Michelle Wu and challenger Josh Kraft outlined their visions for the city in NBC10’s “Final Word” forum on Sept. 3.

During Boston’s last mayoral election four years ago, Michelle Wu was hailed as a climate leader, but she wasn’t the only candidate staking a position on how the city should better serve its residents while building environmental justice initiatives aimed at addressing disparities in access and impact.

When Josh Kraft kicked off his campaign Feb. 4 at the Prince Hall Grand Lodge in Grove Hall, the significance of the venue was not lost on the largely African American crowd that turned out.

The Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts marked the end of one era and the beginning of another last week as they elected a new chair at the group’s 104th annual board meeting.