John J Connolly Jr

Latest Articles

Trail of jeers

Forget Paul Revere. This summer, treat yourself to a tour of Boston's worst in political corruption.
As summer officially kicks off this weekend, thousands upon thousands of people will be descending on our fair metropolis to get a glimpse of America's most history-drenched city.
By LAWRENCE ''HUGGY'' BERGMAN | June 26, 2010

Murph’s Last Grasp?

Can Stephen Murphy rally his troops one last time, or is this stab at higher office his last?
The ever-restless Stephen Murphy is at it again, running anew for state treasurer — just a few months after voters re-elected him to the Boston City Council.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | March 24, 2010

Aftershock

More than 1500 miles from the epicenter of the Haitian quake, its effects rippled through Boston's teeming Haitian community
From the second that the Richter scale registered at 7.0 in Haiti, a desperate grief rippled through Hyde Park, Dorchester, and other corners of this region, which is home to the third-largest Haitian population in America.
By CHRIS FARAONE | January 20, 2010

Chaos Theory

2010 might be the year Massachusetts politics undergoes an unprecedented reshuffling.
In less than two weeks, when Massachusetts voters elect Martha Coakley to the US Senate — let's not pretend that Republican state senator Scott Brown has any chance of pulling off the monumental upset — they will trigger a massive domino effect that has the state's political class buzzing with anticipation.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | January 08, 2010

Green school. Red light?

At-large City Councilor John Connolly sets his sights on creating multi-million-dollar environmental academy.
Little girls and boys frolic on swing sets whittled from recycled beech wood.
By CHRIS FARAONE | January 06, 2010

Event puts the 'dates' in 'candidates'

Kiss and Sell Dept.
In their quest to land one of Boston’s four at-large City Council seats, the eight remaining candidates have shaken more hands and kissed more behinds than anyone probably should in swine-flu season.
By CHRIS FARAONE | October 28, 2009

For Mayor: Vote Flaherty + Yoon

Boston District City Council: Henriquez, Ross, ciommo, LaMattina
Boston’s mayoral candidates are running campaigns that are variations on a theme.
By EDITORIAL | November 04, 2009

For city council

Boston At-Large: Connolly, Murphy, Pressley, Arroyo
When Boston City Councilors Michael Flaherty and Sam Yoon declared their candidacies for mayor many months ago, the duo opened up what is normally a very narrow field for at-large Council candidates.
By EDITORIAL | October 21, 2009

Final four?

The City Council preliminary is seldom a preview of the finish. But this time, it just might be.
Some of Boston's savviest political insiders were confident of one thing going into last week's preliminary election: the top four finishers in the at-large City Council race would not be the same quartet to actually win those four seats in November.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | September 30, 2009

Can Flaherty woo Yoon?

Don't call it a victory just yet; Michael Flaherty's work has only begun. Will Sam Yoon come to his aid?
Michael Flaherty, having earned a spot Tuesday on the November ballot, starts his six-week push to the Boston mayoral final with a big problem. He needs Sam Yoon's voters, and to get them he needs Sam Yoon.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | September 28, 2009

Giant shadow

Though he won't be on the ballot, Ted Kennedy's influence will be keenly felt in the special election to replace him.
One striking aspect of the Kennedy tributes was the focus on the help he and his office provided for ordinary individuals in Massachusetts — all those things that fall under the category of "constituent services."
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | September 02, 2009

Preliminary findings

Handicapping the 15-headed horse race that is Boston's at-large City Council election
Even knowledgeable City Hall insiders know they're better off scratching lotto tickets than wagering on Boston politics.
By CHRIS FARAONE | August 12, 2009

Campaign Trail of Tears

Menino's challengers look to capitalize on tragedy. Plus, council candidates try to meet the tougher new ballot requirements — set by an incumbent.
Mayoral candidates Michael Flaherty and Sam Yoon have looked a little like ambulance chasers of late, seizing on two recent tragedies for political gain.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | May 20, 2009

Swan song for Southie?

As circumstances have changed for Irish Bostonians, the political talent pool in South Boston has dried up. Plus, voting a black slate?
South Boston is famous for producing politicians the way Detroit is known for manufacturing automobiles.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | April 22, 2009

The political virgins

With a crucial state-legislature session looming, Boston residents turn to untested newbies to fight for their share of the pie
At this incalculably critical time — with a fiscal nightmare threatening billions of dollars of state-government spending and momentous budget decisions to be made — everyone in Massachusetts wants to be represented on Beacon Hill by someone with clout.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | January 09, 2009

No side bets

The governor’s gaming legislation crapped out, but are casinos still alive in a compromise? Plus, a school-budget crisis could start a political firestorm.
Opponents of legalized gaming in Massachusetts are celebrating the death this past week of Governor Deval Patrick’s bill to license casinos, which was crushed by a seemingly decisive margin of more than two-to-one.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | March 26, 2008

Cash carousel

Many things changed this year on Beacon Hill, but not the power of the almighty dollar
Even though the dollar has taken an international whupping of late, there remains at least one place where the love of the greenback remains strong: Beacon Hill.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | January 30, 2008

Menino’s hit list

40 potential candidates for the 2009 election who could take on the mayor — if they have the courage.
At a recent political event, Boston mayor Thomas M. Menino asked Robert Crane, the former long-time state treasurer, how many years he had held that office.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | November 28, 2007

Malign neglect

Are the media abetting the death of Boston politics?
If, as the Globe editorial page put it, Boston politics need CPR, why is the press idly standing by?
By ADAM REILLY | November 14, 2007

Deadbeat universities

It’s time for higher education to pay its fair share of city costs. Plus, how to improve the Boston City Council.
No college should be allowed to cry poverty to get out of PILOT anymore.
By EDITORIAL | November 14, 2007

For Boston City Council

Plus, a lesson from the Red Sox
Boston’s 13 city councilors — especially the four members elected at-large — hold high-profile jobs.
By EDITORIAL | October 31, 2007

Murphy’s big tent

In his bid for re-election, city councilor Stephen Murphy has collected a combustible group of allies, from Dapper to Deval
In the past few years, Murphy has recast himself to reflect the changing city.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | October 17, 2007

The rumor mill

So far, the race for Boston City Council is all talk and no action
The energy in this year’s at-large race for Boston City Council is not to be found on the campaign trail.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | September 05, 2007

Seeking council

Could Felix be in trouble?
Several factors have some wondering whether progressive Felix Arroyo may be the most vulnerable at-large incumbent this coming November.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | April 04, 2007

Go for the gelt

Romney woos the jews. Plus, The Mass GOP fails to anoint a leader; negative funding in ’06; and a slow start to the at-large city council field
Much has been made of how Mitt Romney has been courting evangelical-Christian support for his presidential ambitions. But Romney is also seeking friends — and, more important, money — among Jews.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | January 10, 2007

We found Whitey Bulger . . . and he’s still missing

Anniversary party: The FBI celebrates 12 years of failure
I get a lot of calls about Bulger, but this one was different.
By DAVID BOERI | June 24, 2011

Council contortions

Boston’s city councilors are jockeying to be the next mayor — but that’s yesterday’s playbook
For more than a generation, being president of the Boston City Council was a springboard to the mayor’s office.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | December 06, 2006

Incumbency

How Wilkerson, Galvin, and Murphy are using it
After state Senator Dianne Wilkerson’s bizarre failure, earlier this year, to collect enough signatures to get on September’s Democratic primary ballot, an obvious question loomed: did the senator still want her job?
By ADAM REILLY | August 02, 2006

Howie Carr blows up

As Whitey makes him famous, the Bulger -scribe doesn’t have to worry about facts
It’s Friday, and Howie Carr Incorporated is in full flog for his new book, The Brothers Bulger (Warner Books).
By DAVID BOERI | March 16, 2006