Gabriela Coletta Zapata says she has Boston City Council presidency locked down

Boston City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata mentioned she has secured the votes to become the next Council president Coletta Zapata chair of the powerful Executive Operations Committee publicized Monday that she has the City Council presidency locked down holding off a challenge from Brian Worrell and a late push from Julia Mejia I m proud to have had the privilege of serving the residents of Boston for eight years with the City Council Coletta Zapata explained in a announcement I deeply believe in this institution and in the vital role we play in improving the lives of Bostonians every day The strength of this Council lies in our ability to respect one another even when we disagree and to work together with purpose and integrity When we lead with respect and unity we model the kind of civic leadership our city deserves and we get more done for the residents who count on us Coletta Zapata an ally of Mayor Michelle Wu who represents East Boston Charlestown the North End and Wharf District mentioned she was proud to have earned the respect and patronage of my colleagues on the Council and I look forward to the work ahead Brian Worrell chair of the Council s Techniques and Means Committee and the body s vice president was also jockeying for the presidency Councilor-at-Large Julia Mejia made a late push last week publicly announcing her bid for the position Worrell and Coletta Zapata were rewarded for their encouragement of the Council President Ruthzee Louijeune last term with the Council s top two committee chair assignments Louijeune has committed to voting for Coletta Zapata a source informed the Herald Seven votes are needed to be elected as the body s president Councilor-at-Large Henry Santana who held off a comeback bid from former Councilor Frank Baker in last week s electoral contest and finished fourth in the at-large race will serve as vice president Gabriela and I first met when we were both staffers on the City Council and from day one I ve watched her grow lead and deliver for our city Santana noted in a declaration I know she will be an exceptional president thoughtful committed and determined to unite our Council and move Boston forward in every neighborhood Coletta Zapata was raised by society advocates in East Boston and her upbringing included attending neighborhood meetings and events and multiple protests against airport runway expansion with her mother Nina She was first elected to the City Council in a special voting process to replace then-Councilor and now-state Senator Lydia Edwards in May Prior to joining the Council she worked as Edwards chief of staff Coletta Zapata is chair of the Regime Operations Committee which plays a key role in finalizing act proposed by the mayor and Council An ally of Mayor Wu she helped to shepherd Wu s tax shift law through the Council in its latest iteration but the home rule petition has fallen flat at the State House Related Articles Pols Politics Wu to chop Boston s Christmas tree in Canada Baker s Council bid not entirely dead Rumored Boston City Council presidency claim leads pol to run to disrupt the process Boston Mayor Wu s chief of streets who oversaw city s bike lane expansion has quit Battenfeld Could Michelle Wu crack the national ticket in Boston voting Wu-backed Santana holds off Baker on Council Culpepper wins open seat Should Worrell or Mejia accept a nomination from one of their colleagues for the Council presidency at the body s first meeting of the next term in early January it would be the first contested vote in up-to-date years In then-Councilor Wu famously cast her vote to help a conservative candidate Bill Linehan get elected president drawing blowback from progressives Linehan defeated then-Councilor and now U S Rep Ayanna Pressley by an - vote Two years later the progressive Wu was unanimously elected as Council president