Yancey: Running for Boston Mayor and City Council

Longtime Boston City Councilor Charles Yancey plans to remain on the Sept. 24 ballot for both mayor and the District 4 seat he currently holds. 

"I'll be on both. I know it’s an unusual move. It may have not been done in recent history in Boston. But it is not unusual on the national level," Yancey told Patch.

Yancey said constituents have requested that he remain on both ballots.

"I’m asking voters for in District 4 to vote for me as their district councilor and for mayor. And out of District 4, I’m asking for their vote for mayor," he said.

District 4 contains Mattapan and Dorchester, and a smart part of Roslindale will be in District 4 in January 2014 because of redistricting.

Yancey said he has no plans to withdraw from either race by the July 2 deadline.

He compared his running for two positions to how U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-WI, ran both for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives and vice president with Mitt Romney in 2012. 

"Perhaps I will be the most experienced candidate for city office," said Yancey, who was first elected to the Boston City Council in 1983 and is a former council president. "I have dealt with 30 budgets for the city of Boston. I'm familiar with all city departments and very familiar with the operations of city government."

Yancey said, obviously he would have to make a decision to enter only one election if he were to advance out of the mayoral preliminary election.