Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speak with a first grade student at James Otis Elementary School on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. Katie Castellani / SHNS photo
By Katie Castellani, State Houise News Service
Fresh off Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s endorsement of Gov. Maura Healey for reelection, the pair appeared as a unit on Thursday rallying around advancements in clean energy while remaining cool on some of each other’s priority policies.
Last year, Healey declined to say if she’d back Wu the day before the mayor was facing Josh Kraft in a mayoral primary. On Thursday, Healey said she’s “thrilled” to have Wu’s backing.
“You know, as the hub city goes, so goes Massachusetts, and so this partnership is super important,” the governor said. “To have her formal endorsement in this race is meaningful, particularly at this time. People are starting to get their ballots actually in the mail, so I really appreciate the endorsement in this moment and the work we’ve got to do the next 34 days.”
Healey continued, “I know we will both join in focusing on how we can work together to lower costs, to make life more affordable for people, to make the right kind of investments that we need in our kids, in our families, in education and transportation; and to stand up to a federal administration and a president that are doing things every day that are harmful to our communities, to the city, to the state, and to the country.”
Asked by a reporter if the endorsement means Healey would back Wu on Boston-centric issues, including property tax shifts, Healey remained neutral.
“I have to take everything one by one,” the governor said. “So, you know, I will say this: As governor, Massachusetts is always looking for opportunities to support and partner with Boston. It’s our capital city. It’s the center of commerce.”
Wu has attempted three times to get a proposal temporarily shifting more of the burden of the city’s property tax rates onto commercial owners. Her most recent attempt this session has stalled in the Senate, which did not refer the bill to any committee. Healey backed South Boston Democratic Sen. Nick Collins, one of the Senate’s leading opponents of Wu’s property tax proposal, in September’s primary election. Wu backed Collins’ primary contender Latoya Gayle.
Wu also remained neutral when asked about Healey’s recent proposal to temporarily suspend the state’s gas tax. Asked where she stands on the idea, Wu said, “You know, it’s a state issue.”
“I would just say that, in general, we are trying to create opportunities for residents not to have to be at the whims of oil and gas prices because of conflicts all around the world that are started by those who are in the White House,” Wu told reporters Thursday. “The more that we can transition to being able to not have to have those costs with clean energy, with opportunities for everyone to get where they need to go safely and reliably and conveniently. That’s great. At the same time, we need the resources to be able to keep doing what takes care of our communities now.”
Wu and Healey displayed their working relationship while visiting James Otis Elementary School.
Wu said the school is in a 121-year-old building and was the first of the city’s schools renovated to operate without fossil fuels. Among the many thanks she gave during a speech on the school’s renovations was one to the governor for her “dedication to our kids and our communities.”
“Thank you for the belief in our students and our families to achieve anything that they dream, and then backing it up by showing up and making sure we have the ability to get projects like this done,” Wu said.
Healey also said Wu is a “champion for students and teachers” while touting the city and state’s partnership.
“And we’re grateful to you, Mayor Wu, for your leadership,” Healey said. “The Otis School is just a terrific example of what’s possible, and it’s an example of transformative leadership that delivers. And it’s also showing what’s possible when the city and the state work together to get things done, which is terrific.”
The renovation included heat pumps, air conditioning, better lighting and weatherization for the school, Wu said. She noted that several years ago, school staff relied on “fans and popsicles” to keep classrooms cool because the windows opened in a way that did not allow for window air conditioning units.
According to Healey’s office, the project was funded with approximately $7.2 million in city and state funding – around $5.7 million from Boston and $1.5 million from the state through the Green School Works program. Over the last two years, the program has funded 29 projects across the state.
Wu and Healey said the renovations will allow students and teachers to remain at a comfortable temperature in school and breathe cleaner air. They both said the renovation has led to a dramatic drop in emissions at the school and Wu noted that there has been a significant drop in the number of students sent home sick. The school is blocks away from Logan International Airport and Route 1 – meaning the area has some of the “highest levels of pollution exposure in our city,” the mayor said.
“You know, we think about cleaner air. It’s healthier schools, healthier schools, it’s healthier kids, and healthier kids are going to be able to learn better and to thrive,” Healey said.
