Tito Jackson (politician)

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Jackson in 2017 Tito Jackson 2017 interview 09.jpg
Jackson in 2017

In January 2017 Jackson announced he would run for Mayor of Boston in the 2017 mayoral election against the incumbent, Marty Walsh. [29] In launching his candidacy, Jackson positioned himself as the "progressive" candidate in the race, and cited issues such as income inequality and housing as being central to his candidacy. [4]

In the nonpartisan primary election held on September 26, 2017, Jackson received 29 percent of the votes to Walsh's 63 percent. Jackson moved onto the general election on November 7, 2017. Only 14 percent of the city's voting population cast votes compared to 31 percent in the previous preliminary mayoral contest. [30]

Jackson focused much of his efforts on aiming to win the city's Black vote. [31]

Jackson lost the general election race with 34 percent of the votes to Walsh's 65 percent. [32]

Post-City Council activities and career

Following his city council tenure, Jackson has been involved in ventures related to legal marijuana sales. [33] Jackson has served as the chief executive of Verdant Medical, a Massachusetts medical and recreational marijuana company. [34] He has also worked as the chief executive officer of the Apex Noire marijuana company. [35]

Jackson at a 2020 George Floyd protest in Franklin Park Tito Jackson BLM 07.jpg
Jackson at a 2020 George Floyd protest in Franklin Park

Jackson tested positive for COVID-19 in March 2020, early into the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States [36]

In the 2021 Boston mayoral election, Jackson endorsed the unsuccessful primary election campaign of Acting Mayor Kim Janey. [37] After Janey was eliminated in the primary, he endorsed the successful general election campaign of Michelle Wu. [38]

On March 16, 2022, Jackson was one of fourteen names put forth by the Boston City Council as nominees serve on the newly-established Boston Commission on Black Men and Boys. Mayor Wu had the authority to select seven of those nominees to appoint to the commission. [39] The commission has 21 members, seven of which are selected by the mayor after being first recommended from the Boston City Council, while the remainder are selected by the mayor independently from a pool of applicants. On May 19, 2022, Mayor Wu announced that she would appoint Jackson to the commission. [40]

In October 2022, Jackson spoke before the Boston City Council in support of a proposal by the City Council to raise the pay of city councilors by 20%. He claimed in his remarks that after his election to the city council, he nearly lost his house to foreclosure. [41] While the amendment was passed by the council, Mayor Wu vetoed it. Wu supported an 11% increase, which had been the recommendation of Boston’s compensation advisory board, but opposed a 20% increase. [42]

Electoral history

City Council

Tito Jackson
Tito Jackson (7897504902) (a) (adjusted).jpg
Jackson in 2012
Member of the Boston City Council
from District 7
In office
March 2011 –December 2017
2009 Boston City Council at-large election
CandidatesPreliminary Election [43] General Election [44]
Votes%Votes%
John R. Connolly (incumbent)35,18218.0851,36218.35
Stephen J. Murphy (incumbent)30,36515.6151,00818.22
Felix G. Arroyo 25,85913.2945,14416.13
Ayanna Pressley 16,8668.6741,87914.96
Tito Jackson12,5356.4430,20310.79
Andrew Kenneally12,6536.5024,2498.66
Tomás González10,1225.2018,3106.54
Doug Bennett10,5295.4116,8426.02
Ego Ezedi9,2604.76
Hiep Quoc Nguyen7,6913.95
Sean H. Ryan6,6653.43
Jean-Claude Sanon5,3862.77
Robert Fortes5,0712.61
Bill Trabucco3,1321.61
Scotland Willis2,6391.36
all others5950.319510.34
2011 Boston City Council district 7 special election [45]
CandidateVotes %
Tito Jackson2,82981.98
Cornell Mills55716.14
Althea Garrison (write-in)461.33
all others190.55
Total votes3,451 100
2011 Boston City Council district 7 election
CandidatesPreliminary Election [46] General Election [47]
Votes%Votes%
Tito Jackson (incumbent)1,87676.074,81884.35
Sheneal Parker27311.0779913.99
Althea Garrison 2168.7647†0.82
Roy Owens853.45
all others16†0.6548†0.84
Total2,4661005,712100

† write-in votes

2013 Boston City Council district 7 election [48]
CandidateVotes %
Tito Jackson (incumbent)7,67674.61
Roy Owens1,68016.33
Jamarhl C. Crawford (write-in)6536.35
all others2792.71
Total votes10,288 100
2015 Boston City Council district 7 election
CandidatesPreliminary Election [49] General Election [50]
Votes%Votes%
Tito Jackson (incumbent)1,40966.402,98366.64
Charles L. Clemons Jr.38117.951,44432.26
Haywood Fennell Sr.1044.9016†0.36
Althea Garrison 984.620†0.00
Roy Owens743.49
Kevin A. Dwire341.60
all others22†1.0433†0.74
Total2,1221004,476100

† write-in votes

Mayor

2017 Boston mayoral election
CandidatesPreliminary election [51] General election [32]
Votes%Votes%
Marty Walsh 34,88262.52%70,19765.37%
Tito Jackson16,21629.07%36,47233.97%
Robert Cappucci3,7366.70%
Joseph Wiley5290.95%
all others4280.777080.66
Total55,791100107,377100

Notes

  1. ↑ Different government agencies and other entities disagree on whether the home is located in Roxbury or in Dorchester. As of 2017, the city's zoning and planning maps labeled the home as being in Roxbury, while its assessing department listed it as being in Dorchester. The United States Postal Service serves the Grove Hall neighborhood through its Dorchester post office, but had prior to 1967 served it through its Roxbury post office. The question of which neighborhood Jackson lived in garnered minor attention during his 2017 mayoral campaign, as Roxbury is considered the city's most well-known African American communities, while Dorchester is a more white neighborhood from which the incumbent mayor that Jackson was challenging had hailed. At the time, local leaders commented on how the boundary lines between the neighborhoods are not strictly-defined. [8]

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References

  1. 1 2 Martin, Phillip. "Replacing Turner, Tito Jackson Wins City Council Spot". WGBH. WGBH. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 Irons, Meghan E. (April 14, 2021). "Tito Jackson found his birth mother. Their family's journey is a tale of Boston history" . The Boston Globe . Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  3. ↑ Irons, Meghan E. (2017-01-11). "I want to become the 55th mayor of the City of Boston". The Boston Globe . Retrieved 2017-04-05.
  4. 1 2 "Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson Is Running For Mayor". WBUR. January 12, 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  5. ↑ Irons, Meghan E. (April 14, 2021). "Tito Jackson found his birth mother. Their family's journey is a tale of Boston history". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  6. 1 2 3 Brooks, Anthony (September 28, 2017). "Tito Jackson Aims To Be Boston's First Black Mayor". www.wbur.org. WBUR. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  7. ↑ "Tito Jackson". City of Boston. Retrieved 2017-04-05.
  8. 1 2 Jonas, Michael (1 June 2017). "Tito Jackson's address? It's complicated". CommonWealth Beacon. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  9. 1 2 "Welcome titojacksonformayor.com - BlueHost.com". Titojacksonforboston.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  10. ↑ "UNH announces 2018 Granite State Award and honorary degree recipients". Foster's Daily Democrat. April 24, 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  11. ↑ O’Sullivan, Jim (April 4, 2017). "Tito Jackson once worked for drug maker". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  12. ↑ White, Anna (25 September 2017). "Mayor of Boston Candidate Profile: Tito Jackson". Caught In Southie. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  13. ↑ Guilfoil, John M. (December 21, 2010). "Tito Jackson set sights on City Council seat". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  14. ↑ "Special Preliminary Municipal Election - City Councillor District 7" (PDF). City of Boston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  15. ↑ "Special Municipal Election - City Councillor District 7" (PDF). City of Boston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  16. ↑ Dumcius, Gintautas (October 31, 2012). "Council approves third redistricting map with 11-2 vote". www.dotnews.com. Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  17. ↑ Conti, Matt (November 10, 2012). "New City Council Redistricting Map Impacts North End / Waterfront; Downtown & Wharf District Joins Southie – NorthEndWaterfront.com". northendwaterfront.com. North End Waterfront. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  18. ↑ Bernstein, David S. (21 September 2013). "Boston Mayoral Candidates and Their Council Votes". Boston Magazine. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  19. 1 2 Gavin, Christopher (September 16, 2021). "Boston councilors again approve Commission on Black Men & Boys". Boston.com. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  20. ↑ Van Zuylen-Wood, Simon (April 3, 2016). "Marty Walsh Is Not Tom Menino". Boston Magazine. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  21. ↑ Miller, Yawu (5 March 2014). "Tito Jackson spearheads Boston commission on black boys and men". The Bay State Banner. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  22. ↑ "MAYOR JANEY SIGNS ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING BLACK MEN AND BOYS COMMISSION". Boston.gov. 22 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  23. ↑ Moore, Mary (July 14, 2015). "City councilor sets deadline for Boston Olympics group to produce information". www.bizjournals.com. Boston Business Journal. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  24. ↑ Arsenault, Mark (October 6, 2015). "Olympics opponents weigh in on city elections". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  25. ↑ Multiple sources:
  26. ↑ McNamara, Brittney (October 3, 2016). "Passing Question 2 irresponsible, opponents say". MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  27. ↑ Dezenski, Lauren (September 13, 2016). "Advocates stake out positions on charter ballot question". Politico PRO. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  28. ↑ McKeirnan, Kathleen (4 August 2016). "Council votes against more charter schools". Boston Herald. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  29. ↑ Atkinson, Dan (2017-01-11). "Tito Jackson declares he's running for mayor". Boston Herald . Retrieved 2017-01-12.
  30. ↑ Irons, Meghan E. (2017-09-26). "Walsh, Jackson proceed to general mayoral election in Boston". The Boston Globe . Retrieved 2017-09-27.
  31. ↑ Brooks, Anthony (23 August 2021). "Push To Unite Black Vote Behind Janey Prompts Pushback In Boston Mayoral Race". www.wbur.org. WBUR. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  32. 1 2 "MUNICIPAL ELECTION - NOVEMBER 7, 2017 : MAYOR CITY OF BOSTON" (PDF). Boston.gov. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  33. ↑ "Tito Jackson seeks to put a 'sophisticated, high-end lounge' atop his State Street cannabis shop". Universal Hub. May 25, 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  34. ↑ Adams, Dan (January 17, 2019). "Former city councilor tells of plans for marijuana business" . The Boston Globe . Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  35. ↑ Dearing, Tiziana; Toci, Bart (October 18, 2022). "The ancillary businesses that support Mass. cannabis dispensaries". WBUR. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  36. ↑ Bowker, Brittany (March 29, 2020). "Former Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson tests positive for coronavirus". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2020-12-04.
  37. ↑ Kashinsky, Lisa (10 August 2021). "JACKSON endorses JANEY — Campaigns SPLIT on STAFF VAX requirements — Climate report prompts CALLS for ACTION". Politico.com. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  38. ↑ "Boston mayor's race sours". politico.com. Politico. 18 October 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  39. ↑ Wintersmith, Saraya (16 March 2022). "City Council nominates candidates for Boston Commission on Black Men and Boys". WGBH. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  40. ↑ Hill, Marta (May 19, 2022). "Mayor Wu announces members of Black Men and Boys Commission". www.boston.com. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  41. ↑ "Wu raises prospect of veto after Council okays pay hikes". www.dotnews.com. Dorchester Reporter. October 12, 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  42. ↑ Wintersmith, Saraya (17 October 2022). "Mayor vetoes Boston City Council's 20% pay hike". WGBH. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  43. ↑ "CITY OF BOSTON MUNICIPAL ELECTION - SEPTEMBER 22, 2009 CITY COUNCILOR AT LARGE" (PDF). City of Boston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  44. ↑ "CITY OF BOSTON MUNICIPAL ELECTION - NOVEMBER 3, 2009 CITY COUNCILOR AT LARGE" (PDF). City of Boston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  45. ↑ "CITY OF BOSTON SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION - March 15, 2011 CITY COUNCILOR DISTRICT 7" (PDF). cityofboston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  46. ↑ "CITY OF BOSTON PRELIMINARY MUNICIPAL ELECTION - SEPTEMBER 27, 2011 CITY COUNCILOR DISTRICT 7" (PDF). cityofboston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  47. ↑ "CITY OF BOSTON MUNICIPAL ELECTION - NOVEMBER 8, 2011 CITY COUNCILOR DISTRICT 7" (PDF). cityofboston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  48. ↑ "CITY OF BOSTON MUNICIPAL ELECTION - NOVEMBER 5, 2013 CITY COUNCILOR DISTRICT 7" (PDF). cityofboston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  49. ↑ "CITY OF BOSTON PRELIMINARY MUNICIPAL ELECTION - SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 CITY COUNCILOR DISTRICT 7" (PDF). cityofboston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  50. ↑ "CITY OF BOSTON MUNICIPAL ELECTION - NOVEMBER 3, 2015 CITY COUNCILOR DISTRICT 7" (PDF). cityofboston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  51. ↑ "PRELIMINARY MUNICIPAL ELECTION - SEPTEMBER 26, 2017 MAYOR" (PDF). Boston.gov. Retrieved 2017-11-14.

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