In Tuesday's City Council election in Boston, attorney Andrea Joy Campbell defeated Charles C. Yancey in District 4, a seat representing Mattapan and Dorchester that the incumbent had held since it was created. Here's a look at the newest district councilor.
Biography
Campbell's resume includes Princeton University, UCLA law school, and a year plus in former governor Deval Patrick's administration. She also attended Boston Latin School.
Her mother was killed in a car crash driving to visit her father, now deceased, in prison. While Campbell went to the Ivy League, her twin brother, who suffered from an autoimmune disease, went to prison and died while in state custody.
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Campbell has said that she was born and raised in Boston.
During the race, Yancey suggested that Campbell has lived in District 4 for only a year. She said on the radio and told the Globe she has "called Mattapan home for a decade." Records show that in 2012 she was registered to vote in Stoneham, where Campbell says she lived with her boyfriend while also spending time at her aunt and uncle's home in Mattapan. Records show she first registered to vote in Mattapan in July 2013.
After attending Princeton University, Campbell said, she lived in Manhattan for roughly 18 months but frequently came home to Groveland Street, where she said she lived with an aunt and uncle she refers to as her parents.
She then moved to Los Angeles for law school, from late 2005 until 2009, she said, but spent most breaks and summers in Mattapan.
Campbell said that in 2012 she split her time between her boyfriend's home in Stoneham and Mattapan. In the summer of 2013, the couple moved to River Street.
Political background
Campbell, 33, said she started knocking on doors in March, day after day, in running shoes and jeans and pearl earrings.
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During her campaign, Campbell focused on the future: "This is about looking forward," she said. "Looking forward with a vision and mobilizing this community."
In September's preliminary election, Campbell won significantly more votes than Yancey; he came in a distant second.
Through Oct. 15, Campbell had raised $160,000 — nearly three times more than Yancey's $58,000. Records show most contributions came from ZIP codes in Dorchester, the Back Bay, Jamaica Plain, the South End, and Cambridge.
Campbell also focused on constituent service, which she says has been lacking in District 4, and pledged to bring more accessibility and accountability to the council.
The Boston Globe's editorial board endorsed Campbell for the District 4 seat, citing her "compelling background" and "a chance to bring a fresh perspective to the council."
Stances
• Against the 14 percent City Council pay raise, Campbell told the Dorchester Reporter in August.
• When Yancey pushed Campbell on whether she supports lifting the cap on the number of charter schools, she replied, "I don't support or oppose lifting the cap. It needs to be a balanced response. It's not a yes or no."