Boston City Council elections were held on November 15, 1983, with preliminary elections on October 11, 1983. This election transitioned the Council from having 9 members (all at-large) to having 13 members (9 district representatives and 4 at-large). All 13 seats were contested in both the preliminary and general election.
Incumbents Each of the nine incumbent at-large councillors ran for Boston public office. Name Position contested for Result Bruce Bolling Councillor, District 7 won Raymond Flynn Mayor of Boston won Maura Hennigan Councillor, District 6 won Christopher A. Iannella Councillor at-large elected Frederick C. Langone Mayor of Boston lost, 6th Michael J. McCormack Councillor at-large elected Terence P. McDermott Councillor at-large lost, 5th Dapper O'Neil Councillor at-large elected Joseph M. Tierney Councillor at-large elected
At-large In the preliminary election, ten names appeared on the ballot, with voters able to choose four; the top eight vote-getters then appeared on the ballot in the general election.
Voters in the general election could select four of the eight final candidates; Councillors McCormack, Iannella, Tierney, and O'Neil received the most votes, so were re-elected and filled the four at-large seats, while Councillor McDermott finished fifth and was not re-elected.
CandidatesPreliminary electionGeneral electionVotes%Votes% Michael J. McCormack (incumbent) 52,315 12.3 87,143 16.0 Christopher A. Iannella (incumbent) 66,647 15.6 85,204 15.7 Joseph M. Tierney (incumbent) 62,850 14.7 82,600 15.2 Dapper O'Neil (incumbent) 64,410 15.1 79,086 14.6 Terence P. McDermott (incumbent) 61,436 14.4 77,096 14.2 Jean Sullivan McKeigue 48,265 11.3 73,064 13.4 Willie Mae Allen 21,369 5.0 32,556 6.0 Althea Garrison 19,908 4.7 26,564 4.9 Joseph Mirisola 14,914 3.5 Leslie F. Payne 14,199 3.3
District 1 Robert Travaglini was elected.
CandidatesPreliminary electionGeneral electionVotes%Votes% Robert Travaglini 5,001 26.8 11,663 53.0 Diane J. Modica 3,704 19.9 10,343 47.0 Robert M. Cappucci 3,444 18.5 Michael J. Reardon 3,081 16.5 Joseph V. Cinseruli 1,999 10.7 Neil P. Brennan 773 4.1 Joseph Sablone 372 2.0 Carl J. Salvi Jr. 272 1.5
District 2 James M. Kelly was elected.
CandidatesPreliminary electionGeneral electionVotes%Votes% James M. Kelly 8,615 41.9 11,815 51.7 Michael Taylor 6,284 30.5 11,026 48.3 Christopher F. Hayes 4,400 21.4 William P. Foley 718 3.5 Stephen M. Palmer 281 1.4 Ali J. Fiumedoro 272 1.3
District 3 James E. Byrne was elected.
CandidatesPreliminary electionGeneral electionVotes%Votes% James E. Byrne 5,231 25.7 11,544 50.5 John E. Garland 5,319 26.2 11,295 49.5 Stephen M. Cidlevich 3,944 19.4 Richard Livingston 2,339 11.5 Carol Nee Geyer 2,145 10.6 Walter R. Campbell 997 4.9 Debra Gelber 347 1.7
District 4 Charles Yancey was elected.
CandidatesPreliminary electionGeneral electionVotes%Votes% Charles Yancey 4,239 18.47 7,898 51.7 Bill Owens Jr. 4,405 17.21 7,364 48.07 Gerald Anderson 1,889 14.4 Locksley H. Bryan 980 7.5 Benjamin F. Thompson 601 4.6 Carter D. Kimbrel 469 3.6 Bobby J. Wallace 254 1.9 Arthur Williams 241 1.8
District 5 Thomas Menino was elected.
CandidatesPreliminary electionGeneral electionVotes%Votes% Thomas Menino 11,375 57.8 17,554 74.7 Richard E. Kenney 3,126 15.9 5,945 25.3 William G. Broderick 3,123 15.9 Robert MacGregor 1,124 5.7 Constance L. Brown 467 2.4 George L. Richmond 461 2.3
District 6 At-large councillor Maura Hennigan was elected.
CandidatesPreliminary electionGeneral electionVotes%Votes% Maura Hennigan (at-large incumbent) 10,772 52.6 14,390 59.8 Francis X. Coppinger 6,557 32.0 9,654 40.2 Edmund McNamara 313915.3
District 7 At-large councillor Bruce Bolling was elected.
CandidatesPreliminary electionGeneral electionVotes%Votes% Bruce Bolling (at-large incumbent) 7,556 59.1 9,049 63.9 Elizabeth "Betty" Jones 1,907 14.9 5,121 36.1 Ben Haith 1,315 10.3 Roy A. Owens 1.146 9.0 Steven A. Wise 567 4.4 James Joseph 302 2.4
District 8 David Scondras was elected, becoming the first openly gay Boston City Council member.
CandidatesPreliminary electionGeneral electionVotes%Votes% David Scondras 3,720 30.6 7,207 50.4 Mark Roosevelt 4,136 34.0 7,104 49.6 Dennis A. Quilty 3,150 25.9 Eugenie Beal 1,165 9.6
District 9 Brian J. McLaughlin was elected.
CandidatesPreliminary electionGeneral electionVotes%Votes% Brian J. McLaughlin 2,969 20.5 9,071 53.8 Helene Solomon 3,470 24.0 7,782 46.2 Richard M. Izzo 2,489 17.2 John F. Melia 2,456 17.0 Joseph H. Hogan Jr. 1,451 10.0 Jerome P. MacDonald 917 7.3 George Franklin 534 3.7 Jean Farrell 162 1.1
See also List of members of the Boston City Council 1983 Boston mayoral election
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