LIVE UPDATES: Unofficial Somerville election results in, Jake Wilson to be next mayor, Question 3 passes

This is a developing story, check back here for updates.

Editor's Note: The candidates in italics are the incumbents, in bold are the winners. 

9:35 p.m.

The unofficial results for the Somerville election are listed below.

SOMERVILLE MAYORAL ELECTION

SOMERVILLE CITY COUNCILOR-AT-LARGE ELECTION

SOMERVILLE SCHOOL COMMITTEE WARD 2 ELECTION

SOMERVILLE SCHOOL COMMITTEE WARD 3 ELECTION

SOMERVILLE CITY COUNCIL WARD 5 ELECTION

SOMERVILLE CITY COUNCIL WARD 7 ELECTION

9:30 p.m.

SOMERVILLE BALLOT QUESTIONS

9:53 p.m.

Nearly an hour after Jake Wilson's victory was announced, Wilson's watch party at La Brasa remains packed. The energy is celebratory as supporters talk with one another. Jake Wilson is walking around La Brasa, conversing with supporters and friends.

9:35 p.m.

Mayoral Election

At-large City Councilor Jake Wilson was elected as Mayor with 52.46 %  of the vote. Wilson has focused his campaign on addressing housing affordability, improving city services, and advocating for safer streets. During his time on the city council, he has supported zoning reforms to expand affordable housing, secured funding for afterschool programs, and increased public participation in the city budget process. A former communications professional, Wilson emphasizes collaborative, transparent, and data-informed leadership to guide Somerville’s infrastructure investments, climate resilience planning, and citywide service improvements.

City Councilor-at Large Election

Incumbents Will Mbah and Kristen Strezo were both re-elected with 13,051 and 10,243 votes respectively, reflecting their strong records in office and support from the community. 

Ben Wheeler, a former technology educator, has been elected to the City Council with 10,954 votes. With a vision to expand affordable housing near public transit and priorities around supporting working parents and making streets safer, he will be a strong new representative for the Somerville community.

Jonathan Link, former educator and software engineer, was elected to the City Council with 8,132 votes. Recommended by Somerville Bike Safety, Link’s priorities lie within street safety, as well as affordable housing, small business support, among other things.

School Committee Ward 2 Election

Elizabeth Eldridge, chair of Somerville Special Education Parent Advisory Council, won the Ward 2 School Committee Race with 45.61% of the vote against incumbent Ilana Krepchin. Focused on addressing the failures of the current School Committee in ensuring all students meet grade level expectations, her victory will mean increased representation and better outcomes for special education and marginalized students. 

School Committee Ward 3 Election

Public school teacher Michelle Lippens was elected to the School Committee Ward 3 with 44.39% of the vote. With nearly 20 years of experience as a Massachusetts public-school teacher, three children enrolled in Somerville Public Schools, and past leadership roles with the Somerville Special Education Parent Advisory Council, Lippens’s priorities include creating inclusive classrooms, ensuring every child has access to the resources and supports they need, and increasing transparency in school governance and policy.

Somerville City Council Ward 5 Election

Ward 5 City Councilor incumbent Naima Sait was re-elected for a second term on the Council with 77.21% of the vote. A first-generation Algerian-born immigrant and mother, Sait taught at Somerville High School for seven years before her first election to the Council in 2023. In Sait’s first term, she supported Somerville artists, affirmed Somerville’s Sanctuary City Commitment, advanced environmental initiatives, and improved transparency surrounding school improvement processes. Sait’s most important issues for her second term are affordable housing, traffic calming and road infrastructure improvement, mental health support (especially for youths), increased translation services, and sustainable infrastructure.

Somerville City Council Ward 7 Election

Emily Hardt, a UMass Boston professor was elected Ward 7 City Councilor with 67.55% of the vote. A Somerville resident of more than 20 years and a parent of children who attended Somerville Public Schools, Hardt is a long-time local advocate for climate justice, affordable housing, and quality public education. Drawing on her experience as a former union organizer and nonprofit executive director she plans on addressing the city’s housing affordability crisis while also prioritizing safer streets and sidewalks, climate resilience, and immigrant communities.

9:02 p.m.

Burnley Jr. has just announced in a speech that he called Wilson to concede the Somerville mayoral election, official counts have not been released yet.

8:44 p.m.

Despite Wilson being the front runner in the preliminaries, the overall energy at Burnley Jr.’s watch party is hopeful. The band Mallcops, a local “emo punk” band, is currently playing live music and people seem to be having a good time. Multiple attendees are holding signs that read ’vote yes on three,’ demonstrating their support for the divestment ballot question.

8:00 p.m. POLLS CLOSE

Polls have closed across the City of Somerville as it holds its municipal election Tuesday. The mayoral, City Councilor At-Large, City Council Ward 7 and Ward 3 School Committee races will be decided. 

The mayoral candidates on the ballot include challengers Willie Burnley Jr. and Jake Wilson, both currently serving as at-large city councilors; two-term incumbent Mayor Katjana Ballantyne was knocked out in the preliminary election. 

The councilor at-large race sees incumbents Kristen Strezo and Will Mbah being challenged by Scott Istvan, Marianne Walles, Ben Wheeler, Holly Simione, Christopher Ryan Spicer, Jonathan Link and Jack Perenick.