Scotland Willis: Former Boston City Council Candidate Shares Views On City and Country.
The dust has settled around the preliminary election for Boston Mayor and City Council. A higher percentage of city residents voted in the prelim than in years past but the numbers still represented only a fraction of the total eligible voters.
Not the best scenario for someone running for elected office for the first time.
Running in a field of 15 candidates – including two incumbents, both of whom breezed through the preliminary election – Roxbury native and resident Scotland Willis ran as close to a “green” campaign as he could. An environmental management consultant by trade, this meant he took mass transit or rode his bicycle to campaign events and debates and to canvass neighborhoods.
He garnered approximately 1.4 percent of the vote, placing him last amongst the candidates.
But Willis says he is not deterred by his showing in the election. (Many election analysts believe a political neophyte must run and lose at least once before gaining the name recognition necessary to win a city or town wide election anyway.)
In a recent conversation with Open Media Boston and I.B.I.S. Radio, Willis said his current activities include sitting on the boards of several local organizations including the Roxbury Neighborhood Council and the United South End Settlements. He serves as Vice Chair of the U.S. branch of the international relief agency Help A Poor Child founded in India in 1980.
And he’s running in another election - albeit a bit less public - seeking a seat on the Board of Directors of the Harvest Food Coop.
Because of his interest in development and planning issues in Roxbury, we asked Mr. Willis to describe some of the notable failures and successes in this regard.
OMB Audio: Conversation with Scotland Willis, recorded on October 2nd, 2009 in the studios ofWMBR, 88.1FM, Cambridge.
Editor’s Note: The Municipal Election in Boston (1 Mayor and 4 City Council seats) will be held on Tuesday November 3rd 2009. The deadline to register is October 14th.
Web Resources:
About Scotland Willis from his City Council Campaign website
