Latest On The Tobin Seat

We don't even officially have an open seat or an election date yet, but things have to move fast in a special election. I've told you that Matt O'Malley and Jim Hennigan are both all-in for the race to replace John Tobin as Boston City Councilor for District 6 (West Roxbury/Jamaica Plain), and that Tobin chief-of-staff David Isberg is a maybe. Now I can tell you that two politically sharp women from the JP side of the district are seriously considering it as well.

Jessica Taubner, policy director for at-large city councilor Ayanna Pressley, has been all around the neighborhood, city, and state level, on policy and political fronts: she was on the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council, she was a policy researcher for the state legislature, and she was field director for Sam Yoon's mayoral campaign.

Attorney Valerie Frias (Tufts undergrad, Northeastern Law), has also had her fingers in a lot of pies, so to speak -- from Jarrett Barrios campaign manager to Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy's legal staff. 

Both tell me they are seriously considering running. One has to wonder whether there's room for both in the campaign, as they would presumably draw from similar bases, both for voters and for contributions and volunteers. So, no time to waste making that decision. (Besides, I'm liable to start goading potential women candidates to run -- as Taubner's boss can attest!)

Another potential candidate has decided not to run: Gunner Scott, executive director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition tells me he has decided now is not the right time.

More to come soon, I'm sure....