Annissa Essaibi George

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Annissa Essaibi George
Annissa Essaibi George 2018 03.png
Member of the Boston City Council
at-large
In office
January 2016 – January 2022
Preceded byStephen J. Murphy
Succeeded by (elect)
Personal details
Born (1973-12-12) December 12, 1973 (age 48)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationBentley College
Boston University (BA)
University of Massachusetts, Boston (MEd)
Signature
WebsiteCampaign website

Annissa Essaibi George[a] (born December 12, 1973) is an American politician who served as an at-large member of the Boston City Council. First elected in 2015, she has served on the council since 2016, with her current term ending in January 2022. She was a candidate in the 2021 Boston mayoral election and advanced to the runoff election before losing the election to fellow Councilor Michelle Wu.

Early life[]

Annissa Essaibi George was born on December 12, 1973, in Boston, Massachusetts. Her parents met while studying in Paris. Her mother was born to Polish parents in a displaced persons camp in Germany but grew up in Boston. Her father, Ezzeddine, was from Tunisia. They relocated to the United States in 1972, settling in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. She and her three siblings were raised Catholic while her father was a practicing Muslim.[1]

After graduating from Boston Technical High School (now the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics & Science), Annissa Essaibi George attended Bentley College, a business school in Waltham, Mass., for two years, before transferring to Boston University, where she was a political science major.[2][1] While in college, she interned in the Washington, D.C. office of Max Baucus. After graduating from B.U., she worked as the Student Services Liaison at the Boston Private Industry Council.[3] She continued her education by earning a master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts-Boston, later teaching social studies electives at East Boston High School from 2001 to 2014.[1]

City Council career[]

Essaibi George meeting with Congressman Stephen F. Lynch in 2015

Essaibi George is affiliated with the Democratic Party.[4] She first ran unsuccessfully for Boston City Council in the 2013 at-large race. She became an at-large member of the Boston City Council in January 2016, following the 2015 at-large election; she was re-elected in November 2017 and November 2019.[5][6]

Essaibi George has been considered an ally of former Boston mayor Marty Walsh, whom she has known since childhood.[7]

Essaibi George has chaired committees, including both the Committee on Education and the Committee on Homelessness, Mental Health, and Recovery.[8]

Essaibi George's successful 2015 campaign, which first elected her to the Boston City Council, had focused on social services, including mental health counseling and services for the homeless.[9] In 2016, she established the council's Homelessness, Mental Health, and Recovery committee.[9] She was critical of Kim Janey's move in 2020, as city council president, to disestablish this committee.[10] For several years, Essaibi George proposed ordinances requiring pharmacies to provide safe sharps waste disposal.[11][12][13][14] An ordinance sponsored by Essaibi George that requires pharmacy chains with more than three locations in the city to do so was passed unanimously by the City Council in October 2020.[13][14] Essaibi George also organized needle clean-up drives.[15][16] In 2019, Essaibi George expressed her disapproval for the prospect of creating supervised consumption sites (in the mold of supervised injection sites) in response to drug use in the city.[17] In 2019, Essaibi George advocated for the city to place a full-time social worker and a full-time nurse in every public school.[18] The city, ultimately, implemented this, with Martin J. Valencia of The Boston Globe later attributing this, in part, to her advocacy on the matter.[9]

Essaibi George was an early supporter of Ayanna Pressley's successful 2018 Democratic primary election challenge to incumbent U.S. congressman Mike Capuano.[19] During the Democratic primary election of Massachusetts' 2020 United States Senate election, Essaibi George endorsed incumbent Ed Markey over challenger Joe Kennedy III.[20]

In early 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, she partnered with fellow city councilor Michelle Wu to propose a measure that would provide paid leave to municipal employees that feel ill after receiving the vaccine.[21]

Essaibi George voted against legislation that was passed by the City Council which restricted the use of rubber bullets, tear gas, and pepper spray by the Boston Police Department.[22]

In July 2021, amid her mayoral campaign, Essaibi George denied allegations made in an investigative article published in The Boston Globe that she had used her office to try to prevent the construction of a building that would block the views of a building owned by her husband, a real estate developer.[23] If the allegations are true, they pose a potential violation of a state conflict of interest law.[24][25]

In September 2021, a resolution authored by Councilor Lydia Edwards and co-sponsored by Essaibi George and Michelle Wu was passed by the City Council. The ordinance extends paid child leave for municipal employees to all forms of pregnancy loss, including abortion (as opposed to the existing law, which only covered loss of pregnancy by miscarriage), and also extends it to those who those welcoming a new family member or acting as a caregiver.[26][27]

Mayoral campaign[]

See also: 2021 Boston mayoral election
Logo for Essaibi George's mayoral campaign

On January 27, 2021, Essaibi George confirmed that she would run in the 2021 Boston mayoral election, considered a "wide open" race due to the then-expected confirmation of Mayor Walsh as United States Secretary of Labor;[28][29] Walsh was confirmed to his Cabinet post in March.[30]

Essaibi George has often been described as a "centrist" or "moderate" candidate in comparison to the other candidates.[31][32] Among her endorsers is former Boston police chief William G. Gross, who is also heading one of the two super PACs that backed her candidacy in the nonpartisan primary.[33] That super PAC received $495,000 from New Balance owner and longtime Republican donor Jim Davis, who in 2016 contributed nearly $400,000 to the Trump Victory PAC. Her ties to Pro-Trump groups have resulted in some characterizing her as aligned with Trump or Republicans,[34] which Essaibi George has denied.[35]

As a candidate, Essaibi George touts her experience as an educator.[31]

In the preliminary election on September 14, unofficial results show her campaign placing second with 22.4% of the vote, defeating acting mayor Kim Janey and several other challengers to advance to the general election with first-place winner Michelle Wu, who earned 33.4% of the vote.[36]

Essaibi George has often been described as a police-friendly candidate, compared to her opponents.[31][37] On public safety and law enforcement, Essaibi George supports police reform.[37][38] She is the only one of the election's five major candidates to oppose cutting the Boston Police Department's budget.[37][39] She has expressed her belief that the city needs to increase the size of its police force.[40] Her public safety platform touts community policing as beneficial.[38] Essaibi George's campaign platform describes gun violence as a "racial justice issue, a public health issue and a public safety issue".[38]

Ellen Barry of The New York Times described Essaibi George as promising "more harmonious dealings" with developers than her opponents.[32] Barry has described her stances on development as one of the two greatest contrasts between her and her general election opponent Wu, who takes stances on development and housing (such as Wu's support of rent control and dissolving the Boston Planning & Development Agency) that Essaibi George has criticized as strongly detrimental to development in the city.[41] The other greatest contrast between Essaibi George and Wu, per Barry's opinion, was their aforementioned differences on whether to make cuts to police funding.[41]

Essaibi George has criticized her general election opponent as taking a policy approach that Essaibi George characterizes "abstract" and "academic".[42]

On September 21, Essaibi George publicly urged super PACs to refrain from involvement in the general election.[43] Her opponent Wu, the following day, publicly urged super PACs to refrain from negative campaigning.[44] Essaibi George's public demand came in the aftermath of the Dorchester Reporter revealing Jim Davis' contributions to one of the super PACs supporting her candidacy.[45]

In the general election Essaibi George has placed emphasis on the fact that she is a native Bostonian (her opponent, Wu, is originally from Chicago). During a radio interview, she stated that she believes it is "relevant" that she is a native Bostonian. Some pointed out that 57% of Bostonians were born outside of the state of Massachusetts.[46][47] In addition, Essaibi George touted herself as having a different leadership style than her opponent, claiming that she makes herself more available to residents and community leaders.[48] However, an early September 2021 poll had shown that more of the primary election's likely voters had personally met Wu than had personally met Essaibi George.[49]

Essaibi George embarked on a "listen and learn" tour of various Boston neighborhoods, which she claimed would inform her "equity, inclusion and justice agenda". She released the resulting agenda on October 8.[50][51]

Personal life[]

Essaibi George is the founder and owner of a retail store in Dorchester called Stitch House, which sells yarn and fabrics and offers classes in knitting, sewing, quilting and crochet.[3][31] She is married to Doug George, a real estate developer.[52] She and her husband have four sons, including a set of triplets.[1]

Electoral history[]

City Council[]

2013 Boston at-large City Council election
Candidate Primary election[53] General election[54]
Votes % Votes %
Ayanna Pressley (incumbent) 42,915 16.71 60,799 18.30
Michelle Wu 29,384 11.44 59,741 17.98
Michael F. Flaherty 39,904 15.54 55,104 16.59
Stephen J. Murphy (incumbent) 31,728 12.35 44,993 13.54
Annissa Essaibi George 12,244 4.77 30,538 9.19
Jeffrey Michael Ross 13,939 5.43 28,879 8.69
Martin J. Keogh 15,743 6.13 26,500 7.98
Jack F. Kelly III 11,909 4.64 23,967 7.22
Catherine M. O'Neill 10,952 4.26  
Althea Garrison 10,268 4.00  
Ramon Soto 9,928 3.87  
Philip Arthur Frattaroli 5,832 2.27  
Gareth R. Saunders 5,363 2.09  
Christopher J. Conroy 3,433 1.34  
Seamus M. Whelan 3,118 1.21  
Francisco L. White 2745 1.07  
Douglas D. Wohn 2,382 0.93  
Frank John Addivinola Jr. 2,240 0.87  
Keith B. Kenyon 1,950 0.76  
Jamarhl Crawford 21dagger 0.01  
all others 832 0.32 1,658 0.50

dagger write-in votes

2015 Boston at-large City Council election[55]
Candidate Votes %
Ayanna Pressley (incumbent) 31,783 24.21
Michelle Wu (incumbent) 28,908 22.02
Michael F. Flaherty (incumbent) 26,473 20.16
Annissa Essaibi George 23,447 17.86
Stephen J. Murphy (incumbent) 19,546 14.89
Jovan J. Lacet write-in 95 0.07
Charles Yancey write-in 39 0.03
Jean-Claud Sanon write-in 25 0.02
Andrea Campbell write-in 13 0.01
all others 959 0.73
2017 Boston at-large City Council election[56]
Candidate Votes %
Michelle Wu (incumbent) 65,040 24.47
Ayanna Pressley (incumbent) 57,520 21.64
Michael F. Flaherty (incumbent) 51,673 19.44
Annissa Essaibi George (incumbent) 45,564 17.14
Althea Garrison 1,825 6.87
Domingos Darosa 11,647 4.38
William A. King 8,773 3.30
Pat Payaso 6,124 2.30
all others 1,230 0.46
2019 Boston at-large City Council election
Candidate Primary election[57] General election[58]
Votes % Votes %
Michelle Wu (incumbent) 26,622 19.41 41,664 20.73
Annissa Essaibi George (incumbent) 18,993 13.85 34,109 16.97
Michael F. Flaherty (incumbent) 18,766 13.68 33,284 16.56
Julia Mejia 10,799 7.87 22,492 11.19
Alejandra Nicole St. Guillen 11,910 8.68 22,491 11.19
Erin J. Murphy 9,385 6.84 16,867 8.39
Althea Garrison (incumbent) 9,720 7.09 16,189 8.05
David Halbert 6,354 4.76 13,214 6.57
Martin Marty Keogh 6,246 4.55  
Jeffrey Michael Ross 5,078 3.70  
Priscilla E. Flint-Banks 4,094 2.98  
Domingos DaRosa 2,840 2.07  
Michel Denis 2,108 1.54  
William A. King 1,809 1.32  
Herb Alexander Lozano 1,510 1.10  
all others 766 0.56 704 0.35

Mayor[]

2021 Boston mayoral election
Candidate Primary election[59][60] General election
Votes % Votes %
Michelle Wu 35,888 33.36 91,239 63.94
Annissa Essaibi George 24,186 22.48 50,879 35.65
Andrea Campbell 21,221 19.72  
Kim Janey (acting incumbent) 20,946 19.47  
John Barros 3,436 3.19  
Robert Cappucci 1,175 1.09  
Jon Santiago (withdrawn) 364 0.34  
Richard Spagnuolo 282 0.26  
Write-ins 94 0.09 585 0.41
Total 107,592 100 142,703 100

Note:2021 Boston mayoral primary results are not yet certified

Notes[]

  1. ^ Some sources use a hyphen in her name; Annissa Essaibi-George. However, neither her own website nor her profile page at Boston.gov use a hyphen; Annissa Essaibi George.

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d "A Teacher's Voice" (Winter Spring 2017). Bostonia. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  2. ^ [LinkedIn profile for Annissa Essaibi George https://www.linkedin.com/in/annissa-essaibi-george-2a0a7746/]
  3. ^ a b "ANNISSA ESSAIBI GEORGE". City of Boston. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  4. ^ "Annissa Essaibi George". Boston.gov. 7 March 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  5. ^ Connolly, Brynne (November 5, 2019). "Boston city council election comes down to 10 vote spread for 4th place cutoff". WHDH-TV. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  6. ^ Ertischek, David. "Council To Be Woman-Majority: Wu, Flaherty, Essaibi-George Re-Elected, Mejia Wins At-Large Seat". Jamaica Plain News. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  7. ^ Trojano, Katie (13 January 2021). "Wu, Campbell lead parade of hopefuls for mayor's chair". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  8. ^ Dearing, Tiziana (August 29, 2019). "Why Boston City Councilor Annissa Essaibi-George Isn't Thrilled About Supervised Consumption Sites". WBUR. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  9. ^ a b c Valencia, Milton J. (October 2, 2021). "Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George had far different approaches as councilors, hinting at how they might govern as mayor - The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Boston City Council homelessness, addiction committee reorganization receives pushback". Boston Herald. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  11. ^ Valencia, Milton J. (August 17, 2017). "Pharmacies could collect used needles under council proposal". www.boston.com. The Boston Globe. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  12. ^ Brown, Sara (May 2, 2019). "Councilor Wants Pharmacies to Help With Safe Needle Disposal – NorthEndWaterfront.com". northendwaterfront.com. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  13. ^ a b Velasco, Aaron; Jezak, Katarzyna (October 28, 2020). "Pharmacies must provide safe sharps disposal, City Council orders – The Daily Free Press". The Daily Free Press. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  14. ^ a b Gavin, Christopher (October 23, 2020). "Boston pharmacies will now have to provide sharps disposal, under law passed by city council". www.boston.com. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  15. ^ "Michelle Wu for mayor - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. October 22, 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  16. ^ "Councilor Essaibi-George Organizes Inaugural 'needle Take Back Day' for the City of Boston – East Boston Times-Free Press". The Eastie Times. April 26, 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  17. ^ Dearing, Tiziana; Wuthmann, Walter (August 29, 2019). "Why Boston City Councilor Annissa Essaibi-George Isn't Thrilled About Supervised Consumption Sites". WBUR. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  18. ^ Brown, Sara (April 7, 2019). "Boston City Council Wants More Social Workers in Schools – NorthEndWaterfront.com". northendwaterfront.com. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  19. ^ Tiernan, Erin (September 27, 2021). "Annissa Essaibi-George rejects ties to Trump via super PAC". Boston Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  20. ^ Murray, Stephanie (January 30, 2020). "MARKEY's new endorsement — New England reacts to CORONAVIRUS — Is BOSTON's middle class DOOMED?". POLITICO. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  21. ^ "Election roundup: Wu, Essaibi-George want paid leave for city workers who feel ill after getting a Covid-19 shot". Universal Hub. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  22. ^ "Boston City Council passes tear gas, rubber bullet limits on second attempt". Boston Herald. 28 April 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  23. ^ "Boston City Councilor Essaibi George Denies Using Her Office To Help Husband". www.wbur.org. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  24. ^ Arnett, Dugan; McDonald, Danny (July 29, 2021). "Mayoral candidates clash: Political opponents call on Essaibi George to address husband's housing record - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  25. ^ Ryan, Andrew; McDonald, Danny (July 28, 2021). "Essaibi George is running for Boston mayor. Her husband, a housing developer, has had a lot of problems with City Hall - The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe.
  26. ^ "Paid Abortion Leave Shouldn't Put 'Stigma' On Abortion, Boston City Councilor Says". New Boston Post. August 27, 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  27. ^ "City Council Approves Expansion of Parental Leave Policy by Edwards". eastietimes.com. East Boston Times-Free Press. September 22, 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  28. ^ McDonald, Danny (January 27, 2021). "Councilor Essaibi-George jumps into the mayoral fray". The Boston Globe. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  29. ^ Gavin, Christopher (January 12, 2020). "With Boston mayoral race wide open, endorsements roll in for Wu, Campbell". Boston.com. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  30. ^ Jim Puzzanghera (March 22, 2021). "Senate confirms Walsh as Labor Secretary". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  31. ^ a b c d DeCosta-Klipa, Nik; Gavin, Christopher; Osei, Zipporah (August 4, 2021). "Boston mayoral race: Annissa Essaibi George's interview with Boston.com". www.boston.com. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  32. ^ a b Barry, Ellen (10 September 2021). "It's a 'Brawl in Beantown,' as Progressive Allies Clash in the Boston Mayor's Race". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  33. ^ Ducius, Ginautas (September 9, 2021). "Essaibi George weighs in on super PAC led by former Boston police chief". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  34. ^ Shirley Leung (September 15, 2021). "New Balance chairman Jim Davis bet $495,000 on Annissa Essaibi George. Tuesday, it paid off". The Boston Globe.
  35. ^ "Annissa Essaibi-George rejects ties to Trump via super PAC". Boston Herald. 27 September 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  36. ^ Platoff, Emma. "With different visions for Boston, Wu and Essaibi George hit the campaign trail - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  37. ^ a b c Kashinsky, Lisa (July 8, 2021). "WHAT the NYC mayor's race means for BOSTON — Advocates BLAST House rules — BAKER to decide 'SOON' on GUV RACE". POLITICO. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  38. ^ a b c "Public Safety". www.annissaforboston.com. 27 April 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  39. ^ DeCosta-Klipa, Nik (September 8, 2021). "3 takeaways from the first debate of the 2021 Boston mayor's race". www.boston.com. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  40. ^ McDonald, Danny (August 30, 2021). "Mayoral candidate Essaibi George talks bolstering police while touring Bowdoin-Geneva - The Boston Globe". Boston Globe. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  41. ^ a b Barry, Ellen (9 October 2021). "Candidate for 'Mayah' Proudly Leans Into Her Boston Sound". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  42. ^ Barry, Ellen (15 September 2021). "Boston Mayor's Race Narrows to a Progressive Versus a Moderate". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  43. ^ Dumcius, Gintautas (September 21, 2021). "Boston Mayoral Candidate Essaibi George Asks Super PACs To Stay Out Of The Race". WBUR. The Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  44. ^ Dumcius, Gintautas (September 22, 2021). "Super PACs should stay positive in mayor's race, Wu says | Dorchester Reporter". www.dotnews.com. Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  45. ^ Wintersmith, Saraya (6 October 2021). "Wu Leads Essaibi George In Post-Preliminary Fundraising". WGBH. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  46. ^ Barry, Ellen (9 October 2021). "Candidate for 'Mayah' Proudly Leans Into Her Boston Sound". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  47. ^ DeCosta-Klipa, Nik (September 30, 2021). "Does growing up in Boston matter? Annissa Essaibi George says yes". Boston.com.
  48. ^ Matthew, Zoe (30 September 2021). "Annissa Essaibi George Ramps Up Criticism Of Wu; Draws Distinction From Progressive Rival On Substance And Style". WGBH. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  49. ^ "SUPRC/Boston Globe FINAL September 2-4, 2021" (PDF). s3.documentcloud.org. SUPRC/Boston Globe. September 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  50. ^ "Annissa Essaibi George Releases Equity, Inclusion and Justice Agenda | Jamaica Plain Gazette". Jamaica Plain Gazette. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  51. ^ Dumcius, Gintautas (September 27, 2021). "Essaibi George launches 'listen and learn' tour | Dorchester Reporter". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  52. ^ Cooke, Bruno (9 August 2021). "Who is Annissa Essaibi George's husband? Meet real estate developer Doug George". The Focus. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  53. ^ "CITY OF BOSTON PRELIMINARY MUNICIPAL ELECTION - SEPTEMBER 24, 2013 CITY COUNCILLOR AT LARGE" (PDF). www.cityofboston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  54. ^ "CITY OF BOSTON MUNICIPAL ELECTION - NOVEMBER 5, 2013 CITY COUNCILLOR AT LARGE" (PDF). www.cityofboston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  55. ^ "CITY OF BOSTONMUNICIPAL ELECTION - NOVEMBER 3, 2015 CITY COUNCILLOR AT LARGE" (PDF). www.cityofboston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  56. ^ "CITY OF BOSTON MUNICIPAL ELECTION - NOVEMBER 7, 2015 CITY COUNCILLOR AT LARGE" (PDF). www.cityofboston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  57. ^ "CITY COUNCILLOR AT LARGE" (PDF). City of Boston. September 24, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2019 – via boston.gov. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  58. ^ "CITY OF BOSTON MUNICIPAL ELECTION - NOVEMBER 5, 2019 - RECOUNT CITY COUNCILLOR AT LARGE" (PDF). www.boston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  59. ^ "Unofficial Election Results". Boston.gov. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  60. ^ https://www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/file/2021/09/2021%20-%2009-14-21%20-%20Preliminary%20Municipal%20Election%20-%20Registration%20Numbers.pdf

Further reading[]

External links[]

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