Katjana Ballantyne

Katjana Ballantyne
Ballantyne at the opening of Union Square Station in 2022
36th Mayor of Somerville
In office
January 3, 2022 – January 2, 2026
Preceded byJoseph Curtatone
Succeeded byJake Wilson
Personal details
Born1962 (age 63–64)
PartyDemocratic[1]
Education

Katjana Ballantyne (born 1962) is an American politician who served as the 36th mayor of Somerville, Massachusetts between January 3, 2022 and January 2, 2026.[2]

Early life and education

Ballantyne was born in Greece and was adopted by her father and mother, a Scottish man and a Czech-German woman. They immigrated to the United States four years after she was born.[3] She later received her B.A. from Saint Michael's College in 1984 and her M.B.A. from Suffolk University in 1998.[4]

Political Career

Ballantyne ran unsuccessfully in a close race for the Ward 7 seat on the Somerville City Council (then named the Board of Aldermen) in 2011,[5] but ran again successfully in 2013, and won each of her reelection bids.[6] She was elected President of the City Council by her fellow councilors in 2018.[7]

After then-mayor Joe Curtatone announced that he would not run for another term, Ballantyne announced her bid for mayor in 2021, and won in a race against fellow city councilor Will Mbah.[8][9] She ran and won a second term in 2023.[10]

In February 2025, under Ballantyne's administration, Somerville, alongside Chelsea, Massachusetts, sued the Trump administration for threatening to withdraw federal funds from the city because of its sanctuary city status.[11]

She ran for a third term in 2025, but lost in a preliminary election against city councilors Willie Burnley Jr. and Jake Wilson.[12][13] Wilson went on to win in the municipal election and took office on January 2, 2026, ending Ballantyne's term.[14][15]

Electoral history

City Council

2011 Somerville City Council election (Ward 7)
Candidate Preliminary election[16] Municipal election[17]
Votes % Votes %
Robert C. Trane (inc.) 541 42.8 1,068 50.8
Katjana Ballantyne 532 42.1 1,028 48.9
Joan Whitney Puglia 187 14.8  
Write-in 4 0.3 5 0.2
Total 1,264 100 2,101 100
2013 Somerville City Council election (Ward 7)
Candidate Municipal election[18]
Votes %
Katjana Ballantyne 1,122 57.5
Joseph A. Capuano 825 42.3
Write-in 4 0.2
Total 1,951 100
2015 Somerville City Council election (Ward 7)
Candidate Municipal election[19]
Votes %
Katjana Ballantyne (inc.) 687 98
Write-in 14 2
Total 701 100
2017 Somerville City Council election (Ward 7)
Candidate Municipal election[20]
Votes %
Katjana Ballantyne (inc.) 1,724 98.7
Write-in 23 1.3
Total 1,747 100
2019 Somerville City Council election (Ward 7)
Candidate Municipal election[21]
Votes %
Katjana Ballantyne (inc.) 1,566 97.7
Write-in 37 2.3
Total 1,603 100

Mayor

2021 Somerville mayoral election
Candidate Preliminary election[22] Municipal election[23]
Votes % Votes %
Katjana Ballantyne 4,176 27.8 10,032 55.5
Will Mbah 4,509 30.0 6,737 37.2
Mary Cassesso 4,088 27.2  
William B. Tauro 2,219 14.8  
Write-in 19 0.1 1,321 7.3
Total 15,011 100 18,090 100
2023 Somerville mayoral election
Candidate Municipal election[24]
Votes %
Katjana Ballantyne (inc.) 13,657 80.9
William B. Tauro 3,029 17.9
Write-in 201 1.2
Total 20,497 100
2025 Somerville mayoral election
Candidate Preliminary election[25] Municipal election[26]
Votes % Votes %
Jake Wilson 5,190 42.1 11,294 55.1
Willie Burnley, Jr 4,174 33.9 9,144 44.6
Katjana Ballantyne (inc.) 2,927 23.7  
Write-in 40 0.3 59 0.3
Total 12,331 100 20,497 100

References

  1. ^ "OCPF". www.ocpf.us. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  2. ^ "Office of Mayor Katjana Ballantyne | City of Somerville". www.somervillema.gov. Archived from the original on December 20, 2025. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  3. ^ Schoenberg, Shira (February 13, 2022). "Meet Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne". CommonWealth Beacon. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  4. ^ Newman, Alex. "Candidate Profile: Katjana Ballantyne, Somerville Mayor". Patch.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "Somerville ElectionStats » 2011 Nov 8 :: Municipal Election :: Councilor :: Ward 7". Somerville ElectionStats. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  6. ^ "Somerville ElectionStats » 2013 Nov 5 :: Municipal Election :: Councilor :: Ward 7". Somerville ElectionStats. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  7. ^ "2018/01/01 05:00 PM City Council Organizational Meeting - Web Outline - City of Somerville, Massachusetts". somervillecityma.iqm2.com. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  8. ^ Committee to elect Katjana Ballantyne. "Ward 7 Councilor Katjana Ballantyne announces run for mayor of Somerville". Wicked Local. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  9. ^ "Somerville ElectionStats » 2021 Nov 2 :: Municipal Election :: Mayor :: City of Somerville". Somerville ElectionStats. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  10. ^ "Somerville ElectionStats » 2023 Nov 7 :: Municipal Election :: Mayor :: City of Somerville". Somerville ElectionStats. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  11. ^ Fortin, Matt; Klein, Asher (February 24, 2025). "Somerville, Chelsea file lawsuit against Trump administration over immigration policy". NBC Boston. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
  12. ^ "Somerville Mayor Ballantyne announces reelection bid for 3rd term". The Tufts Daily. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  13. ^ Cristantiello, Ross (September 17, 2025). "Somerville mayor eliminated in preliminary election". Boston.com. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  14. ^ Muneer, Sana (November 5, 2025). "Jake Wilson to be Somerville's next mayor, unofficial results show". Boston.com. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
  15. ^ City of Somerville MA; Wilson, Jake (January 2, 2026). "Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved January 2, 2026. Happy New Year, Somerville! This morning at City Hall I was officially sworn in as Mayor. First order of business? Opening the Mayor's office door.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  16. ^ "City of Somerville Preliminary City Council Ward 7 Election - September 13, 2011". www.somervillema.gov. City of Somerville. 2011. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
  17. ^ "City of Somerville Municipal City Council Ward 7 Election - November 8, 2011 Mayor". www.somervillema.gov. City of Somerville. 2011. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
  18. ^ "City of Somerville Municipal City Council Ward 7 Election - November 5, 2013". www.somervillema.gov. City of Somerville. 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
  19. ^ "City of Somerville Municipal City Council Ward 7 Election - November 3, 2015". www.somervillema.gov. City of Somerville. 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
  20. ^ "City of Somerville Municipal City Council Ward 7 Election - November 7, 2017". www.somervillema.gov. City of Somerville. 2017. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
  21. ^ "City of Somerville Municipal City Council Ward 7 Election - November 5, 2019". www.somervillema.gov. City of Somerville. 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
  22. ^ "City of Somerville Preliminary Mayoral Election - September 14, 2021". www.somervillema.gov. City of Somerville. 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  23. ^ "City of Somerville Municipal Election - November 2, 2021 Mayor". www.somervillema.gov. City of Somerville. 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  24. ^ "City of Somerville Municipal Election - November 7, 2023 Mayor". www.somervillema.gov. City of Somerville. 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
  25. ^ "City of Somerville Preliminary Mayoral Election - September 16, 2025". www.somervillema.gov. City of Somerville. 2025. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  26. ^ "City of Somerville Municipal Election - November 4, 2025 Mayor". www.somervillema.gov. City of Somerville. 2025. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
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