The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 40

The Boston Globe WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2003 THE LOCAL VOTE DRAMATIC COMEBACKS Incumbents carry the day in council race B4 City Region MIMIMIMIIIIIIIIItllMMIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMI Boston City Council AT LARGE 254 of 254 precincts Four elected, two-year term El Michael Flaherty (i) 36387 18.3 7 Felix Arroyo (i) 34,685 17.4 fTl Maura Hennigan (i) 33,596 16.9 7 Stephen Murphy (i) 30,510 15.3 Patricia White 29,649 14.9 Matt O'Malley 12,929 6.5 Althea Garrison 10,524 5.3 '7 ELECTION Continuedmm PageAl fell victim to a "liberal explosion" in the final tally. As her father walked into her campaign party at West Roxbury Pub on Centre Street shortly before 10 p.m., she told him: "111 be all right. I'm a pro, Dad." All nine district councilors cruised to reelection, meaning the current crop of 13 councilors will be back for another two years. Ten-term incumbent Charles C. Yancey comfortably turned back a tough challenge from first-time candidate Ego E.

Ezedi Jr. in District 4, which includes parts of Roxbury and Mattapan. A dreary day in Boston most likely held down turnout, but 24.6 percent of the city's 270,798 registered voters cast ballots. That's far more than the 13 percent in the September preliminary election, and a touch above the 24.5 percent turnout in 1999, the last time council races were determined with no mayoral contest on the ballot. White's strong showing in the September election meant that five strong candidates, including the four incumbents, were scrambling for four at-large council seats.

But the voters in the final tally apparently had different preferences than those in the preliminary, or they were persuaded to change their minds. Hennigan and Arroyo, who finished fourth and fifth in the preliminary race, vaulted past White to claim the third and second spots, respectively. White dropped from third to fifth. "Patricia had the opportunity, but apparently, it just didn't work," said Larry DiCara, a former city councilor and a close City Hall observer. "The turnout moved the vote left, and it was to the progressives' benefit.

And money cannot buy an election." Arroyo assumed office this year, after a fifth-place finish in 2001 proved enough to give him the job when one of the at-large councilors resigned his post. He finished 1,500 votes out Boston police Officer Dan Daley transported a ballot box from a just after the polls closed at 8 p.m. yesterday. "f7 a I her work to identify and fill potholes and her service as a public check on Menino's power. Hennigan said she was thrilled for both herself and Arroyo, a close ally whom she was in the uncomfortable position of jockeying against for a council seat.

Hennigan had accused Flaherty of trying to engineer her ouster by publicly stating his support for Arroyo and White. "Everyone wanted to pit us against each other, and we wouldn't do that," she said. "It just goes to show that the city of Boston is not for sale. You don't have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and buy glitzy commercials to win an election." Elsewhere in the region, Springfield voters sent Charles Ryan back to the mayor's post after 35 years out of office, as he squeaked out a victory over state Senator Linda J. Melconian.

In Somerville, Joseph A Curtatone Larry DiCara city councilor of fourth place in the preliminary race and, with Utile grass-roots organization in place, seemed destined to lose his council seat before he ever got comfortable. But yesterday he leaped to second place as 'Patricia had the opportunity, but apparently, it just didn't work. The GLOBE STAFF PHOTOJOHN BOHN School in Brighton to City Hall GLOBE PHOTOLOGAN WALLACE Murphy told his supporters he was relieved to win by what proved to be a "comfortable margin." But he acknowledged some anxious moments as returns showed him to be in danger of losing his seat. "For awhile there we weren't sure," Murphy said. "It's always a little up in the air until it's finally over.

It's finally over." White's candidacy attracted many of the political friends of her father, and the interest of big-money donors that allowed her to voting site at the Jackson Mann for." Arroyo called Flaherty's endorsement a "positive step," but said most of the credit for his victory must go to his campaign staff and community organizers. Many in Boston understood the importance of having a minority represent Boston in an at-large seat. "The people understand my message of respect and participation of everyone in the city," Arroyo said. "People want to be inclusive, and be part of a new Boston where everyone counts." Roy Owens 10,204 5.1 DISTRICT ONE East Boston, Charlestown, North End 26 of 26 precincts One elected, two-year term Paul Scapicchio (i) 4,646 85.6 Ken Fowler 764 14.1 DISTRICT TWO Chinatown, Downtown, South End, South Boston 27 of 27 precincts One elected, two-year term gj James Kelly (i) 5,704 97.3 DISTRICT THREE Savin Hill, Columbia Point, Meeting House Hill, Lower Mills, Neponset 30 of 30 precincts One elected, two-year term El Maureen Feeney (i) 5,410 97.5 DISTRICT FOUR Franklin Field, Mattapan, North Dorchester 29 of 29 precincts One elected, two-year term El Charles Yancey (i) 3,679 55.0 Ego Ezedi 2,990. 44.7 DISTRICT FIVE Hyde Park, Roslindale 28 of 28 precincts One elected, two-year term r7 Rob Consalvo (i) 5,958 98.5 DISTRICT SIX West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain 34 of 34 precincts One elected, two-year term E) John Tobin, Jr.

(i) 8,473 74.0 Francesca Fordiani 2,945 25.7 DISTRICT SEVEN Roxbury 31 of 31 precincts One elected, two-year term El Chuck Turner (i) 4,555 98.3 DISTRICT EIGHT Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Fenway, Mission Hill 22 of 22 precincts One elected, two-year term El Michael Ross (i) 3,418 81.1 Carmen Torres 783 18.6 DISTRICT NINE Allston, Brighton 27 of 27 precincts One elected, two-year term El Jerry McDermott (i) 3,467 81.9 Daniel Kontoff 745 17.6 El Elected (i) Incumbent SOURCE: City ol Boston Election Department GLOBE STAFF GRAPHIC go up early and often with the television advertising. In the end, White said, she failed to get across many of her views, and said voters turned away from her on the mis-taken presumption that she doesn't strongly support progressive policies. Globe correspondents Brendan McCarthy, Sasha Talcott, Ron DePasquale, Adam Krauss, and Shari Rudavsky contributed to this report. Rick Klein can be reached at rkleinglobe.com. GLOBE STAFF PHOTOtSSORAS SUAREZ the minority community tUTTlOUt ITlOVed was galvanized on his behalf, and after Fla- the VOte left, herty offered his en- it W3S to the dorsement last week.

Minority activists urged progressives' Charles Yancey (center) and supporters joined in prayer last night following his reelection to the City Council. Yancey turned back a tough challenge from Ego E. Ezedi Jr. DUiiei voung iui ms cui- didacv. a strategy in ucnciiu which voters marked ballots for Arroyo but no other candidates in an effort to concentrate their voting strength.

"I'm just floored by Arroyo's vote," said Joyce Ferriabough, a Boston political consultant. "Flaherty's coattails helped, but Felix would have made it without them. There was a whole team effort: blacks, Latinos, progressive whites." Hennigan, meanwhile, appealed to voters as an elected official who is willing to stand up to council leaders and Mayor Thomas M. Menino. As she made the rounds of the city yesterday in a final campaign push, voters stopped her to say they appreciate Former was elected to succeed Mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay, defeating businessman Tony La-fuente.

Maine voters overwhelmingly defeated a measure that would have cleared the way for a $650 million casino to be built in the southern part of the state. The results in Boston represent a significant victory for Flaherty, who is completing his second year as council president and harbors mayoral ambitions. Flaherty, who won a third two-year term on the council as the top vote-getter, put much of his political capital on the line by endorsing Arroyo and could benefit from the move in the form of increased support from Latinos down the line. Flaherty, 34, downplayed any talk of his own future runs for office, or his help in getting Arroyo elected. He told his victory party that voters responded to his message of affordable housing, school choice, and getting drugs off the streets.

"The message resonated," Flaherty said. "That's what they're talking about, and that's what they want their City Council to fight GLOBE STAFF PHOTOESSDRAS SUAREZ 'V a jr City Councilor Stephen J. Murphy (center) awaited ejection results last night whjlle talking to Pat Harrington (right) and Michelle Burton at F.J. Doyle and Co. in Jamaica Plain.

Maura Hennigan, the longest-serving member of the City Council, received congratulations at the James's Gate restaurant in Jamaica Plain last night after winning reelection..