Josh Kraft, the longtime nonprofit leader and younger son of billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, has filed paperwork with state campaign finance regulators to run for mayor of Boston as a Democrat.
Kraft signed the paperwork on Friday and the document appeared on Monday on the website of the Office of Campaign and Political Finance. The Boston Globe and other outlets reported last week that Kraft, long rumored to be eyeing the mayor’s race, had decided to run and plans to announce in February.
The new campaign filing, called a Statement of Organization, sheds little fresh light on Kraft’s plans for the race, but is the latest confirmation that he will be a candidate this fall against Mayor Michelle Wu. As his campaign treasurer, Kraft lists Allison Murray, a partner with a compliance firm based in Providence.
“Today’s filing was a necessary first step towards an official announcement, which will come soon, where Josh will lay out his vision and ideas for turning Boston around,” said Eileen O’Connor, a spokesperson for Kraft.
A familiar presence in Boston’s philanthropic circles, Kraft is the first challenger to Wu, a progressive who earlier this month shattered another barrier in the city’s history when she gave birth to her third child, Mira Wu Pewarski.
During an appearance Monday on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio,” Wu said she has not spoken with Kraft since the news emerged that he is seeking to unseat her. The mayor also delivered a dig at the nonprofit leader, who has remained quiet so far despite the building buzz around his campaign, sharing very little about what his message will be.
“Whether it’s a parking garage or a zoning plan or a tax bill, Boston residents expect you to know what’s happening, to have clear positions, to be able to get right in there and very clearly explain how you’re going to get things done and how you’re going to make life better,” Wu said.
“At some point, when you’re the candidate, you’re going to have to speak for yourself, and not just have the consultants do it for you,” she continued.
Although she intends to run for re-election, Wu has not yet formally launched her campaign, and until then, said she plans to focus on her responsibilities in City Hall.
“There’s a ton of work,” Wu said. “I’m focused on doing the job that I was elected to do.”
Kraft, 57, oversees his family’s charitable efforts as the president of the New England Patriots Foundation. He is also the chair of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, a historic civil rights organization based in Roxbury. Previously, he worked at the Boys and Girls Club of Boston for 30 years, including 12 as the organization’s president and chief executive.
Kraft has never held any elected office, but for more than a year, rumors have been circulating among political insiders that he was considering running against Wu. His frequent social media posts, documenting his nonprofit work and public appearances, only fueled the speculation.
Even with vast resources at his disposal, Kraft is likely to face an uphill battle in his race against Wu, who made history as the first woman, person of color, and mother to be elected mayor. Historically, unseating incumbents in Boston has proven close to impossible. Four years ago, Wu won all but three of 22 wards in a historic realignment of the city’s political power.
Kraft previously lived in Chestnut Hill, but is now registered to vote in Boston, listing a condo in the North End as his home. The $2 million unit was purchased in October 2023 by an LLC, Two BW Boston LLC, that lists the Patriots’ home field, Gillette Stadium, as its address. A spokesperson said the condo is Kraft’s primary residence, where he votes and receives mail. However, public records show he did not file for a residential tax exemption on the property.
Kraft lists the North End address in his filing with campaign regulators.
Much remains unknown about Kraft’s politics.
He is registered to vote as a Democrat, and said on his campaign finance paperwork he is running as a Democrat. Last year, he said publicly he was supporting the Democratic ticket for president, and voting records show he voted in state and federal Democratic primaries last year.
But public records show Kraft has also voted in Republican primaries in the past — including in 2016, the year Donald Trump first sought the presidency — and Kraft has also donated to GOP candidates. A spokesperson said last year those donations were motivated by Kraft’s support for Israel.
Emma Platoff can be reached at emma.platoff@globe.com. Follow her @emmaplatoff. Niki Griswold can be reached at niki.griswold@globe.com. Follow her @nikigriswold.