On the road
As a mayoral candidate, Ammiano is the local favorite ... at least in Boston

By Seth McM. Donlin

It's long been said in Boston that all politics are local, but these days "local" has become a relative term. That's why, on the evening of May 14, a small group of politicians and local activists gathered in a brownstone flat in Boston's tony South End to hear a leading mayoral candidate speak about district elections, instant-runoff voting, and his highly energized, grassroots campaign.

At 6:30 p.m., with the red wine already gone and the white threatening to follow, the guest of honor was formally introduced. Stepping to the head of the room, he pulled off his jacket and apologized with a grin, "Sorry, we Italians get hot." And with that, the candidate launched into a presentation that was part stump speech, part personal history, and part comedy routine. In other words, it was vintage Tom Ammiano.

Seeking to gain ground against front-runner Sup. Gavin Newsom and facing a challenge from the left in the form of former supervisor Angela Alioto, Ammiano is doing what he has always done: reaching out to form coalitions. The fact that these coalition partners may live and work in Boston and New York (Ammiano attended a second event, sponsored by New York state senator Thomas Duane, in the Big Apple the following day) could be evidence of the candidate's growing stature – both in San Francisco and around the country. Of course, to say Ammiano is the one doing all of the reaching is not telling the whole story. Some of Boston's and New York's most progressive politicians are as eager to connect with Ammiano as he is to connect with them.

Boston city councillor Felix Arroyo – education advisor to former mayor Ray Flynn and the first Latino ever elected to the Boston City Council – told us, "Like Ammiano, I got into politics because of the issues that affect children, and I am very interested in the things that he has to say on these topics. He can take a very difficult issue and make it understandable, and that is why I am beginning to look at some of his [Web] sites and see how he has accomplished some of the things that he has done in San Francisco. And as far as the election goes, I can't see a better candidate for San Francisco or anywhere else, for that matter."

Massachusetts state representative Byron Rushing, former president of the Museum of Afro-American History, agrees. When asked why he was interested in hearing from Ammiano, Rushing replied, "I first heard of Ammiano from Tom Gallagher, a former state rep that is now living in San Francisco. So part of it is personal. But he's definitely touched on all the issues that progressives are talking about, and anytime that you see success in political reform, it resonates. People in Boston are very interested in the successes of San Francisco."

Duane, who served on the New York City Council for seven years as the first openly gay member, was even more enthusiastic about Ammiano. "In every way, Tom is a terrific leader to take up the mantle of Harvey Milk," Duane said. "He is very good at bringing people together, even those that don't always agree with him, and he'd probably be embarrassed to hear this, but he's an icon to me."