Liz Breadon elected Boston City Council president in last-minute shakeup

Politics

Breadon narrowly edged out Councilor Brian Worrell in a vote Monday.

In a last-minute twist, Councilor Liz Breadon was narrowly elected by her colleagues to lead the body as City Council president Monday. 

Breadon, who has represented Allston-Brighton since 2020, was elected by a 7-6 margin during the City Council’s first meeting of the year. She was supported by Councilors Gabriela Coletta Zapata, Sharon Durkan, Ruthzee Louijeune, Enrique Pepén, Henry Santana, and Ben Weber. 

The other contender was Councilor Brian Worrell of Dorchester. Reports circulated Sunday night that Worrell was poised to win enough votes to become council president after Coletta Zapata reversed course and said that she would not seek the nomination. Back in November, Coletta Zapata announced that she had secured enough votes to become the new president. 

But it was Breadon who emerged victorious. 

“As I look out at my fellow council members today, I see a body that continues to better reflect the city that we live in,” she said after winning the presidency. “As president, I commit to work with every single one of you, district councilors and at-large councilors, to strengthen this institution, to seek to create a council culture that values expertise, debate, and mutual respect.”

Breadon, a 66-year-old physical therapist and immigrant from Northern Ireland, is the first openly gay woman to serve on the council. She spoke about her personal history before the final vote, emphasizing how working at Boston Medical Center opened her eyes to the health inequities facing the city’s residents.  

Boston is facing many challenges during a “dangerous moment,” she said. Breadon spoke about ongoing threats from the Trump administration, which she said was pushing “incredible injustice.” The next two years will bring new challenges tied to economic uncertainties, and Breadon said that it is her desire to see the City Council work together in good faith. 

“I didn’t know I would be standing here this time yesterday,” she said. “I will continue to be a peacemaker, a bridge builder, and someone who hopefully will be instrumental in helping us go forward positively with strong leadership from all of us.”

The City Council formally elects its president at the beginning of each two-year term. A period of behind-the-scenes negotiations typically precedes that vote, as candidates work to secure the seven votes needed to win. Candidates are known to offer certain committee assignments to colleagues in exchange for their support. 

The council president has the power to decide which councilors sit on and lead committees. After pieces of legislation are introduced, the president also decides which committees to send specific measures to for further deliberations. If the mayor is out of Boston or unable to serve the duties of their office, the council president fills in as interim mayor.