Bill Linehan Wins District 2 City Council Election

At first, Bill Linehan looked like an underdog to us since his opponent, Susan Passoni, won all the endorsements. However, he won the race last night, 53 percent to 46 percent.

The Globe focused on how Linehan conducted a more old-school, door-to-door campaign and simply got out more supporters. It was also clear that the vote split along South End / South Boston lines. In the future, it would be nice to see the occasional crossover vote instead of such a clear divide.

The Herald didn't encourage any sense of community among the neighborhoods of District 2 with the headline "Southie Reigns Supreme: Linehan Captures Kelly Seat." We love the Herald, and we love their headlines, but this is a City Hall election, not a Red Sox game.

As for District 2 - all the neighborhoods in District 2 - the key difference between Linehan and Passoni wasn't in their positions but in their insider/outsider status. Linehan has worked for City Hall for a long, long time, so his victory will likely mean the maintenance of the status quo in District 2.

Image of Bill Linehan from his official website.