Erin J. Murphy is an American politician and educator who has served as an at-large member of the Boston City Council since December 2021.

In 2024, she unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination in the election for clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court of Suffolk County.

The first runner-up (fifth-place finisher) of the 2019 at-large city council election had been Alejandra St. Guillen, who considered serving the remainder of Wu's term before declining the opportunity.

[6][9] She accepted, and was sworn in December 1 to serve the final month of Wu's unexpired at-large City Council term.

[11] During this term, Murphy joined councilors Frank Baker, Michael F. Flaherty, and Ed Flynn in an informal grouping that often functioned as a centrist voting bloc.

Despite their opposition, the ordinance passed 7–5;[13] but it was vetoed by Mayor Wu, who had argued that it was an inopportune moment to make such a transition due to the need to stabilize the state of the city's schools.

[17] The map would have shifted three voting precincts that have historically been predominantly Irish American into a ward that is Black-majority.

[3] During this dispute, it was noted by Michael Jonas of Commonwealth Magazine that the bloc was not only politically moderate, but also entirely White.

[21] Murphy and Councilor Baker were the sole votes against the rent control home rule petition championed by Mayor Wu.

[26] Murphy and Councilor Flynn proposed a resolution urging for the city to expand eligibility for Mayor Wu's pilot program providing free admission to museums for Boston Public Schools students and their families, proposing opening up to students who do not attend the city's public schools.

[31] In November 2024, Murphy and Flynn proposed a resolution that would have recommended that the city's election department be placed under state receivership.

Fellow councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson joined them in sponsoring the resolution (however, she ultimately abstained from the vote).

[5] Since no candidates were seeking the Republican nomination, the winner of the September Democratic primary was anticipated to win the November general election without opposition.

[35] While low-profile, the office is considered high-paying and tends to offer job security as incumbents serve longer terms than city councilors and have regularly been reelected.

[36] Among those supporting Cartwright against Murphy were mayor Wu, governor Maura Healey state attorney general Andrea Campbell, and congresswoman Ayanna Pressley.