Ruthzee Louijeune

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Louijeune didn’t just win the most votes [in the November 2022 at-large city council election,] she backed the right candidates in the election, made smart alliances with existing colleagues, lined up her votes, and locked them in publicly. She deftly and quickly filled the void, shutting down the dithering that critics often point to as a negative trait of city government. That skillset bodes well for keeping councillors focused on the stack of pressing matters that we elected them to attend to. [36]

Forry also noted that Louijeune's election as council president marked a notable moment for Boston’s Haitian diaspora community, and found it to be “poignant” that the vote coincided with Haitian Independence Day. [36]

Loujuene served as a delegate to the 2024 Democratic National Convention. [37] Several weeks before the convention, incumbent president Joe Biden (the party's presumptive presidential nominee) withdrew his his candidacy for re-election and endorsed vice president Kamala Harris to instead be the party's presidential nominee. Shortly after this, Loujuene indicated her support for Harris's presidential candidacy and intention to support her at the convention. [38] After Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump began spreading the Springfield pet-eating hoax (a false conspiracy theory about a Haitian immigrant community in Springfield, Massachusetts) in September, Louijeune condemned Trump and participated in a protest decrying Trump's rhetoric. [39] [40]

In 2024, Boston magazine called Louijeuene "Boston's brightest rising political star", and ranked her at #75 on its 2024 list of the "Most Influential Bostonians". [41] [42]

Personal life

Louijeune lives in Boston's Hyde Park neighborhood. [1] [18] In addition to English, Louijeuene is fluent in French and Haitian Creole. She also has conversational fluency in Spanish. [12]

Electoral history

Ruthzee Louijeune
Ruthzee Louijeune at 2022 Juneteenth and Roxbury Homecoming celebration (FVkohbjWQAE4L-u) (1) (adjusted).jpg
Louijeune in 2022
President of the Boston City Council
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2024
2021 Boston City Council at-large election
CandidatePrimary election [43] General election [44]
Votes%Votes%
Michael F. Flaherty (incumbent)41,29915.062,24217.4
Julia Mejia (incumbent)38,76514.161,70917.3
Ruthzee Louijeune33,42512.254,60115.3
Erin Murphy 22,8358.342,83112.0
David Halbert16,9216.242,56111.9
Carla Monteiro18,8446.939,64811.1
Bridget Nee-Walsh15,1185.527,4247.7
Althea Garrison 16,8106.124,1947.0
Kelly Bates12,7354.6 
Alexander Gray11,2634.1 
Jon Spillane11,1554.1 
Said Abdikarim7,7252.8 
Domingos DaRosa7,1392.6 
Donnie Palmer Jr.6,8232.5 
Roy Owens Sr.5,2231.9 
James Colimon4,6711.7 
Nick Vance3,9431.4 
Write-ins 8450.31,3500.4
Total274,694100359,294100
2023 Boston at-large City Council election [45]
CandidateVotes %
Ruthzee Louijeune (incumbent)44,64120.29
Erin Murphy (incumbent)43,54819.80
Julia Mejia (incumbent)39,18718.10
Henry Santana 34,15115.53
Bridget Nee-Walsh26,77512.17
Shawn Nelson10,5124.78
Clifton A. Braithwaite10,2994.68
Catherine Vitale8,5603.89
Juwan Skeens write-in1130.05
all others1,5490.70
Total votes219,965 100

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kilgannon, Maddie (March 16, 2021). "Mattapan native Ruthzee Louijeune joins at-large council race". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Shimano, Mihiro (September 7, 2021). "Ruthzee Louijeune". Boston.com. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
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  6. ↑ "City Council Candidate Loved Campus and Harlem". Columbia College Today. June 22, 2021. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Meet the Candidate". Ruthzee Louijeune for Boston City Council At-Large. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  8. ↑ Zeder, Jeri (August 17, 2011). "Law on the Home Front". Harvard Law Today. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
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  10. ↑ Cotter, Sean Philip (September 15, 2021). "Who advanced through the Boston City Council preliminary elections?". Boston Herald. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
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  12. 1 2 3 "Ruthzee Louijeune Launches Campaign for Boston City Council At-Large". Beacon Hill Times. March 18, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  13. ↑ Ta, Ha (March 24, 2021). "City council race: Ruthzee Louijeune running for at-large seat". The Scope. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  14. ↑ Ratto, Isabella (October 14, 2021). "Built in Boston, City Council candidate Ruthzee Louijeune hopes to build better for the next generation". The Huntington News. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  15. 1 2 3 Ta, Ha (March 24, 2021). "City council race: Ruthzee Louijeune running for at-large seat". The Scope. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  16. 1 2 "Ruthzee Louijeune secures at-large spot on council". The Bay State Banner. November 3, 2021. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Louijeune wins solid 3rd-place finish; first Haitian American to join council". www.dotnews.com. The Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  18. 1 2 Bleichfeld, Avery (January 10, 2024). "Ruthzee Louijeune: On top of her game". The Bay State Banner. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  19. 1 2 3 Miller, Yawu (May 31, 2023). "Redrawn Council Map Raises New Issues" . Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  20. ↑ Thompson, Isaiah (March 29, 2023). "Council Probes Lending Discrimination". Bay State Banner. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  21. ↑ Grove, Rashad (June 20, 2022). "Boston City Council Apologizes for its Role in Slavery". Ebony. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  22. ↑ McCourt, Clara (October 4, 2022). "New proposal could regulate Boston beekeeping". www.boston.com. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  23. ↑ Wintersmith, Saraya (October 17, 2022). "Mayor vetoes Boston City Council's 20% pay hike". WGBH. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  24. ↑ Miller, Yawu (December 7, 2022). "Council calls on Wu to increase affordable unit requirements". The Bay State Banner. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  25. ↑ Zokovitch, Grace (December 12, 2022). "Immigrant Voting Proposal Comes Before City Council". Boston Herald. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  26. ↑ Cawley, Gayla (December 14, 2023). "Boston City Council Approves Voting Rights For Immigrants With 'Legal Status'". Boston Herald. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  27. ↑ Choe, Jina H.; Kettles, Cam E. (April 28, 2023). "Boston City Council Unanimously Votes to Support MGB Union Campaign". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  28. 1 2 Platoff, Emma (June 20, 2023). "Redistricting Drama Threw Boston City Council Into Chaos. Enter Ruthzee Louijeune". The Boston Globe.
  29. ↑ "Mayor Michelle Wu signs off on new Boston electoral map". WBUR. May 27, 2023.
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  31. ↑ Battenfeld, Joe (August 19, 2023). "Ruthzee Louijeune Emerging As Top Contender For Bickering Boston City Council Presidency". Boston Herald. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Boston's next mayoral race is two years off. Who are Mayor Wu's prospective challengers? --at 8:40". youtube.com. GHB News. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Louijeune and Murphy top at-large council ticket; Santana secures fourth slot". The Dorchester Reporter. November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  34. ↑ Danny, McDonald (November 9, 2023). "Louijeune says she has the support to become Boston City Council president". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
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  36. 1 2 Forry, Bill (January 10, 2024). "It's time to give Louijeune her due". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  37. ↑ Garrity, Kelly (August 20, 2024). "Primary Poll Positioning". Politico. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  38. ↑ Cooper, Kenneth J. (July 24, 2024). "Black Democratic Delegates from Mass. Endorse Harris". Bay State Banner. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  39. ↑ Sacchetti, Sharman (September 29, 2024). "Boston's Ruthzee Louijeune reacts to 'blatant lies' about Haitians". WCVB. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  40. ↑ Patkin, Abby (September 30, 2024). "Louijeune Joins Protesters to Decry Trump Villainizing Haitians for Political Gain". Boston.com.
  41. ↑ Soroff, Jonathan (October 4, 2024). "This City Councilor Is Boston's Brightest Rising Political Star". Boston Magazine. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  42. ↑ "The 150 Most Influential Bostonians in 2024". Boston Magazine. April 22, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  43. ↑ "City of Boston Municipal Election -November 2, 2021 City Councilor At Large" (PDF). Boston.gov. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  44. ↑ Waller, John (November 2, 2021). "2021 Boston City Council election results". Boston.Com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  45. ↑ "City of Boston Municipal Election - November 7, 2023 City Councilor At Large" (PDF). www.cityofboston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
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