City Council Seat Filled After Public Recount

The Cambridge City Council spot vacated by Brian P. Murphy ’86-87 was filled by Larry Ward after a public recount by the Cambridge Election Committee last Tuesday.

Former Vice Mayor and Finance Murphy will now serve as Deputy Secretary for Governmental Affairs with the Mass. Executive Office of Transportation.

Ward, a licensed councillor and Peace Commission volunteer, said that he was honored to have been chosen to help Cambridge through difficult times.

He added that he thought that the most important issues in Cambridge are the responsible management of city growth, environmental protection, and the availability of educational opportunities.

Regarding development plans for the city and the environment, Ward said that he thought it was important to retain a sense for the quality of life for residents. “There is only so much land. We want some green space, we need to be able to look around and breathe,” he said.

In accordance with Cambridge’s proportional representation election system, the Election Commission reviewed the ballots that were awarded to Murphy in the 2007 election and chose his replacement from the candidate with the highest ranking once Murphy and other ineligible candidates were eliminated.

According to Robert Winters, a political commentator and professor at the Harvard Extension School, the system was designed to ensure that the political dynamics of the council are maintained in the event of a vacancy.

“Of all the available candidates, Ward was the better match and is consistent with Murphy’s political philosophy,” he said.