By Madyline Swearing, Special to the Reporter
Despite a lack of endorsements in a City Council campaign that she says some considered “adversarial,” Julia Mejia amassed nearly 17 percent of all votes in an eight-way race last week, securing a fourth term as an at-large councillor.
Mejia said it was risky — and unconventional — to run independently without alliances. But as a “grassroots” campaign, she added, running without the backing of an incumbent leader was more than political — it was personal.
“I don’t do political endorsements, because it undermines democracy, and I’m not a king or a queen maker,” Mejia said. “My strategy is to demonstrate that real people have real power if we are intentional about building it.”
The Dorchester resident finished second to Ruthzee Louijeune with 47,422 votes, according to unofficial election results. JD Moore, her campaign’s policy and communications director, noted that most of her community outreach was done via social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, WhatsApp group chats, and traditional canvassing.
Moore said initiatives like “Day in the Life” videos, which showed the behind-the-scenes action of running a campaign while serving in office, brought a level of “authenticity” that was effective in connecting with voters and involving them in the process.
Mejia serves as chair of the council’s Committee of Government Accountability, Transparency and Accessibility, and as vice chair of the committees for Education, Housing and Development, and Labor, Workforce and Economic Development.
“Democracy was on the ballot, and my seat was very much at risk because I didn’t have any of those resources or money,” Mejia said. “I think my campaign could be a really good case study for grassroots, especially what’s happening on the national scale in terms of how people feel about elected officials.”
She raised $124,095 in campaign contributions, according to the state’s Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF). Of the four incumbent at-large candidates, Mejia raised the second-highest amount of contributions, OCPF reports show.
Her campaign ultimately lacked the funds for mailers and advertisements, so social media were used “strategically” in place, with most of the contributions wspent on core staff members, Moore said. Volunteers were not paid.
Mejia’s core team comprised Moore, a deputy and primary campaign manager, a field manager, and a volunteer base. Moore, Mejia’s field director, and her deputy campaign manager all graduated from Boston public schools within the last five years, which, Moore said, was necessary in creating an “intergenerational” team.
Mejia was the first in her family to graduate from the BPS system and college. She immigrated to Dorchester from the Dominican Republic when she was five years old.
“Our field director was 19, and then we had folks all the way into their 50s and 60s,” Moore said. “It was pretty intentional.”
Last week, Mejia said she would seek election as the City Council president, a post she sought in 2023 as well. On Monday this week, the news site MassterList reported that Councillor Gabriela Coletta Zapata of East Boston has secured the votes needed to win the presidency.
“We’re a body of 13, and there’s a need for all of us to be in communication and in community around who is going to be the leader of our body,” Mejia said. “I wanted to create an opportunity for democracy to play out publicly and to help educate our constituents about what is the City Council president’s role, how it works and why it matters.
In her next term, Mejia plans to focus on establishing a collaborative co-governance model while continuing to pursue policy goals concerning education and housing.
“I always tell people…even if they don’t vote for me: Just put their own name on the ballot,” Mejia said. “Politicians start paying attention to the neighborhoods that are voting…that changes the way they treat us.”
This story is part of a partnership between the Dorchester Reporter and the Boston University Department of Journalism.
