Liz Braden elected Boston City Council president after roll-call vote
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Summary
After nominations and speeches from councilors, the Boston City Council elected Councilor Liz Braden as its president in a roll-call election; Braden pledged to prioritize transparency, neighborhood representation and collaborative committee leadership.
Liz Braden was elected president of the Boston City Council during the council’s organizational meeting on Jan. 1, 2026, the clerk announced following a roll-call vote.
Braden, the district councilor for District 9, addressed colleagues after the clerk’s tally and thanked members for their support, saying it is “an honor of my life to work for the people of Boston” and pledging to strengthen the council as an institution that values “expertise, debate, and mutual respect.” She pledged to work across districts and to prioritize equity, housing, climate resilience and protections for immigrants and LGBTQ+ residents.
The election followed nominations and remarks from multiple councilors. Councilor Menyard Culpepper formally nominated Councilor Brian Worrell and highlighted Worrell’s record overseeing the council’s budget review and bargaining agreement approvals; Councilor Edward Flynn and others praised Worrell’s work as Ways and Means chair. Councilor Ben Weber nominated Braden, describing her ability to bring the body together in difficult moments. Several councilors used their allotted time to emphasize process, transparency and independence in the council’s internal vote, with Councilor Julia Mejia urging members to resist last‑minute orchestration and to demand a clear vision from candidates.
When accepting the presidency, Braden said she would foster a council culture that amplifies members’ work, expands staff capacity and ensures constituents can see the results of council efforts. Braden also thanked outgoing president Ruthie Lougien and pledged to work with the mayor’s administration where possible while asserting the council’s independent oversight role.
The clerk announced that the votes were tallied and that Braden was the council’s new president; the transcript records the result but does not provide a numeric vote tally. (The clerk read each councilor’s vote during the roll-call.)
With Braden installed, she and councilors moved into regular business on the agenda, referring several hearing orders and adopting late-file personnel items before adjourning. The council closed the meeting with memorial remarks for several recently deceased community members.
