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Frank Baker (Boston politician)

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Frank Baker
Baker in 2023
Member of the Boston City Council
from the 3rd district
In office
January 2012 – January 1, 2024
Preceded byMaureen Feeney
Succeeded byJohn FitzGerald
Personal details
Born1968 (age 55–56)
Political partyDemocratic
Children2 (twins)
EducationDon Bosco Technical High School

Frank Baker (born 1968) is an American politician who represents District 3 on the Boston City Council. He was first elected on November 8, 2011.[1][2]

Personal life

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Baker is the 12th child of John and Eileen Baker, and was raised in Saint Margaret's Parish (now St. Teresa of Calcutta), which is better known as the Savin Hill section of Dorchester. He graduated in 1986 from Don Bosco Technical High School where he has studied printing trade. Between 1987 and 2010 he worked in the printing department at the City of Boston. He is a member of the CWA/Boston Typographical Union. He is married to his wife Today and they have two children.[1]

Boston City Council

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Baker was first elected to the Boston City Council representing District 3 in 2011. Incumbent District 3 Council Maureen Feeney declined to run for reelection, and a large field of candidates ran to replace her. Baker faced John O'Toole in the general election, with Baker running out of the northern part of the district in Savin Hill, and O'Toole drawing his support from the southern part of the district in Adams Village and Neponset.[3] The race was widely seen at the time as a contest between then-Mayor Thomas Menino and State Representative and Boston Building Trades' chief Marty Walsh, with Menino backing O'Toole, and Walsh backing Baker.[4] Baker won, receiving 5,262 votes to O'Toole's 4,120.[5]

Baker is the chair of the Jobs, Wages, and Workforce Development Committee and the Special Committee on Charter Reform. He is vice chair of the Planning, Development and Transportation Committee as well as a member of the committees on Census and Redistricting, City, Neighborhood Services and Veterans Affairs, Government Operations, Homelessness, Mental Health and Recovery, Housing and Community Development, and Ways and Means. Baker is affiliated with the Democratic Party.[1]

In 2016, while chairing the Charter Reform Committee, he proposed that council members serve four year terms, not two year terms. His arguments include that the members running for reelection spent much of the second year running and not focusing on the Council[6] and that the city could save approximately $1.6 million by not having elections in low turn out years. The council vote 8–1 in favor but at the time, it was not clear what Mayor Marty Walsh thought about the proposal. He would need to sign off on the proposal and send it to the State House for a vote in order for it to take effect.[7][8]

In 2023, Baker and Erin Murphy were the only two City Council members to vote against advancing a home rule petition asking the state to allow the city to implement proposals by Mayor Michelle Wu to reform the Boston Planning & Development Agency and to enact a form of rent control.[9]

Baker was one of four Boston City Councilors that voted against the council's redistricting map that was approved after the 2020 United States Census. The map made alterations to the shape of Baker's district and a neighboring district. To account for the population growth of the South Boston Waterfront, several white majority conservative precincts in his district were moved into a neighboring district. Baker took particular issue with the map's separation of precincts around Dorchester's Adams Village business area into different city council districts.[10] The map that Baker was against was ultimately prohibited by preliminary injunction from being used in the 2023 Boston City Council election after a ruling by Federal Judge Patti Saris.[11]

At a City Council meeting early October 2023, Baker and Sharon Durkan opposed holding an immediate vote on a resolution proposed at the meeting by Tania Fernandes Anderson related to the Israel–Hamas war. Unlike other resolutions related to the conflict that were being discussed at the meeting, Fernandes Anderson's resolution was not focused on condemning the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, and instead centered on calling for a ceasefire.[12] Fernandes Anderson's resolution characterized the attack as a "military operation" rather than an act of terrorism.[13] The resolution was referred to the committee of the whole instead of being voted on.[12]

In December 2023, Baker voted against a home rule petition that would seek state approval for Boston to extend voting participation in municipal elections to non-citizen residents with legal status.[14]

In 2023, Baker announced that after six terms on city council that he would not be running for another term.[15]

Election Results

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2019

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Main article: 2019 Boston City Council election
General election for Boston City Council District 3, 2019
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
nonpartisan Frank Baker 4,822 95.4%
nonpartisan other/write in 235 4.6%

[16][17]

2017

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Main article: 2017 Boston City Council election
General election for Boston City Council District 3, 2017
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
nonpartisan Frank Baker 8,385 97.12%
nonpartisan write in 249 2.88%

2015

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Main article: 2015 Boston City Council election
General election for Boston City Council District 3, 2015
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
nonpartisan Frank Baker 4,745 84.9%
nonpartisan Donnie Palmer 811 14.5%
nonpartisan write in 34 .61%

2013

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Main article: 2013 Boston City Council election
Candidates General Election[18]
Votes %
Frank Baker 9945 97.76%
all others 228 2.24%

2011

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Main article: 2011 Boston City Council election
Candidates Preliminary Election[19] General Election[20]
Votes % Votes %
Frank Baker 2,338 31.53% 5,262 55.78%
John O'Toole 1,916 25.84% 4,120 43.68%
Craig Galvin 1,769 23.86%
Doug Bennett 703 9.48%
Marydith Tuitt 334 4.50%
Stephanie Everett 266 3.59%
Martin Hogan 63 0.85%

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Frank Baker". City of Boston. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  2. ^ Smith, Jennifer (November 29, 2018). "District 3 Councillor Frank Baker to seek another term on Boston City Council". DotNews. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  3. ^ Ryan, Andrew (2011-09-28). "Baker, O'Toole to vie for District 3". Boston.com. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  4. ^ "REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: Neighborhoods, numbers keys in District 3 finale | Dorchester Reporter". www.dotnews.com. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  5. ^ "Baker defeats O'Toole in Boston's District 3". BostonGlobe.com. November 8, 2011. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  6. ^ Irons, Meghan E. (February 4, 2016). "Boston City Councilor Frank Baker proposes 4-year-terms". Boston Globe. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  7. ^ Quinn, Garrett (April 7, 2016). "Boston City Council Votes to Extend Terms to Four Years". Boston Magazine. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Boston City Council votes to extend terms to four years". Universal Hub. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  9. ^ Wintersmith, Saraya (8 March 2023). "Boston City Council approves Wu's rent control and city planning proposals". WGBH. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  10. ^ Jonas, Michael (5 April 2023). "For Ed Flynn, awkward roles of race healer and redistricting foe". CommonWealth Magazine. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  11. ^ Sudborough, Susannah (May 9, 2023). "Federal judge throws out new Boston City Council district map". www.boston.com. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  12. ^ a b Abrams, Nicole (19 October 2023). "City councilors speak on Israeli-Palestinian conflict". The Daily Free Press. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  13. ^
  14. ^ "Boston Council's Voting Expansion Faces Long Road". WHDH. 28 December 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  15. ^ Wintersmith, Saraya (20 April 2023). "Frank Baker, a lonely conservative voice, to leave Boston City Council". GBH. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  16. ^ Kadzis, Peter (November 6, 2019). "Women Gain First-Time Majority On Boston City Council As Wu Tops Ticket". WGBH. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  17. ^ "Wu, Essaibi-George, Flaherty hold council seats, Garrison ousted; recount sought over 10-vote margin for last at-large seat". The Boston Herald. November 5, 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  18. ^ "CITY OF BOSTON MUNICIPAL ELECTION - NOVEMBER 5, 2013 CITY COUNCILLOR DISTRICT 3" (PDF). cityofboston.gov. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  19. ^ "Preliminary Municipal Election - City Councillor District 3" (PDF). City of Boston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  20. ^ "Municipal Election - City Councillor District 3" (PDF). City of Boston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved 10 November 2012.


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