Kim Janey is first woman, person of color to be mayor of Boston

Kim Janey (D) is the first woman and person of color to become mayor of Boston, The Associated Press reports.

History was written on Monday when Janey, who had been serving as president of the Boston City Council, assumed the role after the Senate voted 68-29 to confirm now-former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh (D) to head up President Biden’s Labor Department. 

According to the news agency, Janey was named acting mayor of the city immediately after Walsh’s confirmation. She will have a swearing-in ceremony later this week, according to the AP.

In a tweet on Monday evening, Janey congratulated Walsh on his confirmation. 

“You are a proud son of Dorchester who will bring our city with you to the [Department of Labor]. The working people of America will benefit greatly from your passion,” she wrote in the tweet.

“Now, we look ahead to a new day — a new chapter — in Boston’s history,” she continued.

Congratulations on your confirmation, Secretary Walsh. You are a proud son of Dorchester who will bring our city with you to the @USDOL. The working people of America will benefit greatly from your passion.

Now, we look ahead to a new day — a new chapter — in Boston’s history. https://t.co/Tp2802GKd4

— Kim Janey (@Kim_Janey) March 22, 2021

In a statement to the AP earlier in the day, Walsh also expressed excitement about what it would mean for Janey, a Black woman, to serve as the next mayor of Boston, a majority-minority town that has only had a white man in the mayor’s seat.

According to the AP, Walsh said he and Janey, who has been anticipated to fill the mayor’s seat since Biden first nominated Walsh to lead the Labor Department in January, have met regularly over the past few weeks.

“Together the council president and myself and our teams have worked diligently to ensure a smooth transition,” Walsh said, the agency reported.

Janey will serve out the remainder of Walsh’s term in office, which will run until this coming fall. She has reportedly not yet indicated plans of whether she plans to run to keep the seat.

–Updated on April 11 at 12:46 p.m. An earlier version of this article inaccurately stated Boston was “a majority-white” city. Boston is a majority-minority city.