Radio Roundtable: Worcester’s 2027 City Council Race Is Already Taking Shape
The Radio Roundtable looks at Worcester’s early 2027 City Council and mayoral campaigns, the landslide vote on Question 1, and the city’s property tax rates.
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Worcester, MA-Worcester’s next municipal election is a year away, but the campaigns are already taking shape. On the Radio Roundtable, the panel looks at three candidates getting an early start and asks what it takes to win a citywide race in Worcester.
King makes a third run as Bowditch and Kamara enter the race
City Councilor Khrystian King is making his third bid for mayor. Julie Bowditch, executive director of CASA Project Worcester County, drew the panel’s attention with her campaign rollout. Jermoh Kamara is running again after finishing just 32 votes short of an at-large council seat in the 2025 election, a margin confirmed by a recount.
The Roundtable considers what each candidate brings to the race and how an early campaign launch can help build the support it takes to win citywide.
Question 1 won decisively. What happens at Beacon Hill?
Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly approved Question 1, which expands the state’s public records law to cover the Legislature and the governor’s office. Lawmakers have also been working on a bill that could limit which legislative records would be public. The panel discusses why some voters doubt Beacon Hill will put the measure into effect as they approved it.
George Russell looks at Worcester’s tax rates
George Russell walks through Worcester’s property tax rate table and connects the numbers to a question that will follow candidates into 2027. How does the city’s approach to property taxes affect what people can afford?
Listen to the full Radio Roundtable for the discussion on Worcester’s early campaigns, the fight over public records, and the city’s affordability debate.
Listen to the full Radio Roundtable conversation on Radio Worcester.
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Massachusetts approved Question 1. What happens next?
More than 85% of Massachusetts voters backed Question 1, which brings the state Legislature and the governor’s office under the Massachusetts Public Records Law. The measure is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2027, and it does not require another vote by lawmakers.
What will the public be able to request?
Residents and reporters will be able to request public records directly from the Legislature and the governor’s office. The law protects records related to developing policy positions and certain communications from constituents seeking help with government benefits, services or agencies. Existing public records exemptions still apply.
Could lawmakers change what voters approved?
Yes. The House and Senate passed different versions of a separate transparency bill before the election. As of Nov. 10, the Legislature’s tracker still lists H.5469 / S.3244 in a conference committee, where lawmakers work out differences between the two versions. The Senate version would limit disclosure to a narrower set of legislative records. Any compromise would need approval from both chambers before going to Gov. Maura Healey.
Some of the skepticism goes back to 2024, when voters approved a separate measure authorizing the state auditor to audit the Legislature. That vote led to a dispute between Auditor Diana DiZoglio and legislative leaders. This time, the immediate question is whether lawmakers send Healey a bill that changes which records the public can see.
Sources
- Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth — Official text of Question 1, including the Jan. 1, 2027 effective date and exemptions for certain constituent communications and policy-development records. Read the ballot measure
- Massachusetts Legislature — Official tracker for the separate transparency bill, H.5469 / S.3244. Check the conference committee status
- Massachusetts Senate — Text of S.3244, the Senate proposal that would limit which legislative records are available to the public. Read the Senate amendment
- GBH News, Nov. 9, 2026 — Reports that more than 85% of voters backed Question 1 and explains why supporters are concerned lawmakers could alter or delay it. Read the GBH story
- WBUR, Sept. 30, 2026 — Background on Question 1 and the earlier dispute over the 2024 vote to authorize an audit of the Legislature. Read the WBUR explainer
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