Photo: Photo Courtesy of WBZ's Karyn Regal
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — After more than a year of campaigning, the Wu Train has, finally, reached the station. Michelle Wu has been sworn in as the Mayor of Boston, in a ceremony at City Hall.
Michelle Wu is the first woman and person of color to be elected mayor of the city since mayoral elections began about 200 years ago.
She was joined by her children and husband as she took the oath.
At her inauguration, Wu said she first felt "invisible" and "intimidated," when she first stepped into city hall as an intern under Mayor Tom Menino, and worked to make the city more accessible. "When we connect the power of city government to the force of our neighborhoods and communities, we see how much is possible for our city," she said.
"City government is special," Wu said. "We are the level that is closest to the people, so we must do the big and the small. Every streetlight, every pothole, every park, every classroom, lays the groundwork for greater change."
She pledged to get "city hall out of city hall," and out into the street.
.
Wu is the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants and grew up in Chicago. She moved to Boston to attend Harvard University, and was first elected to the City Council in 2013.
Wu made several big policy promises on the campaign trail, including making the MBTA free of charge and reinstituting rent control in the city, both of which would need statehouse approval.
She was joined at the swearing-in by Acting Mayor Kim Janey, who holds the distinction of being the first-ever person of color and woman to hold the Boston mayor's office — She wasn't elected, but rather filled the post in March after then-Mayor Marty Walsh resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Labor.
"It’s been the honor of my life to serve you as Mayor," Janey said earlier.
The newly-minted Mayor Wu announced several key staffing positions earlier in the day, including making her Campaign Manager Mary Lou Akai-Ferguson the Interim Chief of Staff.
Follow WBZ NewsRadio:Facebook|Twitter|Instagram|iHeartmedia App