{"id":1847,"date":"2026-06-03T14:36:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T14:36:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=1847"},"modified":"2026-06-03T14:36:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T14:36:58","slug":"wu-endorses-state-senator-nick-collins-primary-challenger-ratcheting-up-democrats-feud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=1847","title":{"rendered":"Wu endorses state Senator Nick Collins\u2019 primary challenger, ratcheting up Democrats\u2019 feud"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Mayor Michelle Wu on Wednesday endorsed state Senate candidate Latoya Gayle in her bid to unseat incumbent state Senator Nick Collins, directly inserting herself in the race against one of her top antagonists on Beacon Hill. <\/span><\/p>\n

Read more A fake Trump endorsement in N.H. is a reminder for voters to stay skeptical online<\/a><\/p>\n

In the world of Boston politics, Wu\u2019s move is a rare and eyebrow-raising one: She is throwing her weight behind a first-time candidate aiming to oust not only a sitting Democrat in Wu\u2019s own city, but also one who serves on a body that must sign off on many of Wu\u2019s legislative priorities to become law.<\/span><\/p>\n

Collins has held his seat since 2018. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

In a statement, Wu said Gayle would be a \u201cpowerful, principled voice\u201d in the Senate. She is scheduled to appear with Gayle at an event Wednesday morning to trumpet her endorsement.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLatoya Gayle has spent her career fighting for working families in Boston to have every opportunity to thrive,\u201d Wu said. \u201cResidents of the [First]Suffolk District deserve a State Senator who understands the challenges facing our communities and brings an urgency to find solutions. As a mom and community leader, Latoya has stood with our families even when state legislators have not.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Wu has fiercely, and publicly, clashed with Collins several times in recent years, primarily over her push to temporarily shift more of the city\u2019s property tax burden onto commercial real estate in order to ease property tax spikes for homeowners.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wu has repeatedly sought Beacon Hill\u2019s permission to do so since 2024, but each time the proposal stalled in the state Senate. Collins, of South Boston, vocally opposed the measure, accusing Wu of \u201chyperbole and fear-mongering\u201d in pushing the measure, and is seen as one of the key lawmakers responsible for its death.<\/span><\/p>\n

Along with Collins, state Senator Will Brownsberger, whose district includes part of Boston, also opposed Wu\u2019s tax shift proposal, and both have argued for pursuing alternative measures to limit homeowners\u2019 tax bills.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brownsberger, a Belmont Democrat, is also facing a primary challenge this year from Daniel Lander, a former Wu aide, though Wu has not yet weighed in on that race.<\/span><\/p>\n

She is, however, taking aim at Collins in the First Suffolk district, which is anchored by Dorchester and South Boston. Collins, considered a conservative Democrat in the progressive chamber, once weighed a run for mayor in 2021. Wu went on to win the office that fall. <\/span><\/p>\n

As South Boston\u2019s senator, he also hosts the annual St. Patrick\u2019s Day Breakfast, one of the city\u2019s most hallowed, if sometimes awkward, political traditions. Wu skipped the Breakfast in March, prompting Collins to joke about Wu\u2019s absence that \u201cshe found it just a little bit too taxing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Trevor Story begins road to recovery after undergoing sports hernia surgery<\/a><\/p>\n

Gayle said in a statement that she was \u201chonored\u201d to have the mayor\u2019s support. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMayor Wu has demonstrated that when you show up for communities and lead with courage, you can deliver real results,\u201d Gayle said in a statement. \u201cThat\u2019s the approach I\u2019ve taken throughout my career as an advocate, and it\u2019s the approach I\u2019ll bring to the State Senate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to Gayle, Juwan Skeens is also running in the Democratic primary for the seat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wu\u2019s endorsement could offer a much-needed boon to Gayle as she challenges Collins, an established sitting lawmaker who has served in elected office on Beacon Hill for more than 15 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gayle, 47, is a married mother of four, and has lived in Dorchester or the South End for 22 years, according to her campaign. She currently works as the senior director of advocacy and family partnerships at Neighborhood Villages, a Boston-based early education and childcare nonprofit. <\/span><\/p>\n

Wu\u2019s endorsement, particularly for first-time candidates, has proven powerful and influential in the past.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the 2023 municipal election, Wu backed four new City Council candidates, all of whom won council seats that November.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2024, Wu endorsed longtime public defender and first-time candidate Allison Cartwright in her successful bid to be clerk of the Suffolk County Supreme Judicial Court against sitting city councilor Erin Murphy. Cartwright also had the backing of US Representative Ayanna Pressley and Attorney General Andrea Campbell, bringing an unusually high level of attention to a race typically far below the average voter\u2019s radar.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then last fall,as Wu easily rolled to reelection, her close allies on the council again held on to their seats by fairly wide margins with her support, including at-large City Councilor Henry Santana, who was seen as the most vulnerable incumbent in last year\u2019s election. <\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Trump confirms he called Netanyahu \u2018crazy,\u2019 as he says Israel is complicating peace talks with Iran<\/a><\/p>\n

This is a developing story and will be updated.<\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Michelle Wu and Nick Collins have bitterly clashed the past two years over his vocal opposition to her property tax legislation. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1846,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nWu endorses state Senator Nick Collins\u2019 primary challenger, ratcheting up Democrats\u2019 feud - Boston Relocation Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=1847\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Wu endorses state Senator Nick Collins\u2019 primary challenger, ratcheting up Democrats\u2019 feud - 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