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Jake Wilson Poised to Become Somerville Mayor After Burnley Concedes

Voter frustration with declining city services propelled a management-first agenda.

Overview

  • Unofficial results list 11,185 votes for Wilson versus 9,054 for Willie Burnley Jr., a 52% to 46% lead.
  • Wilson is expected to take office in January, replacing Katjana Ballantyne, who was eliminated in September’s preliminary.
  • His campaign centered on restoring core services, pledging better street paving and safety, filling vacancies at City Hall, tackling rodents, and holding open office hours.
  • Immediate tests include homelessness and open drug use concentrated in Davis Square, issues that drew packed public safety hearings in October.
  • Sanctuary-city tensions persist as officials reported at least 32 ICE detentions this fall, setting up federal-local friction for the incoming administration.