[17] In April, an analysis by The Boston Globe found that, of the six major candidates then-running, Wu had received the least financial contributions from real estate developers.

[20] She was endorsed by a number of progressive groups, including #VOTEPROCHOICE[21] By September 2021, Wu was widely considered to be the front-runner in the nonpartisan primary election, with a significant polling lead.

[24] Wu placed first in the nonpartisan primary and advanced to the general election, where she faced fellow city council member Annissa Essaibi George.

[27] Wu was viewed as the front-runner in the general election campaign, with advantages in endorsements, including from cultural groups,[28] Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, both of Massachusetts' U.S.

[46] The co-chairs of the transition were former state representative and city housing chief Charlotte Golar Richie; former Massachusetts secretary of administration and finance (and 2018 Democratic gubernatorial nominee) Jay Gonzalez; and activist Mimi Ramos.

[54] Additionally, the election saw two of Wu’s strongest critics on the council unseated from their district seats due in large part to personal controversies each suffered.

[54] On November 22, 2021, Wu signed an ordinance to divest city investments from companies that derive more than 15 percent of their revenue from fossil fuels, tobacco products, or prison facilities.

[59] In August 2022, Wu unveiled a proposed home rule petition that would see the city request entrance to the state's pilot program for municipalities to ban fossil fuels from most new buildings, with the exception of labs and hospitals.

This plan centers on combatting the impacts of rising heat extremes, focusing on the "environmental justice communities" of Chinatown, Dorchester, East Boston, Mattapan, and Roxbury.

[63][64][65] In August 2022, Wu announced that, in the following month, Oliver Sellers-Garcia would begin serving in the newly created senior advisory position of "green new deal director".

[67] In July 2022, it was announced that the ceremonies for the second edition of the Earthshot Prize, an environmentalism award founded by William, Prince of Wales and The Royal Foundation, would be held in Boston in December 2022.

The mandate promoted opposition, and in an interview with Boston Public Radio, Wu stated that she received racist messages in response to vaccine requirements.

[14] E. Tammy Kim of The New Yorker wrote of Wu's approaching to addressing the city's challenging with housing, Her approach has been to try everything, all at once: preserving and building new public housing; imposing rent control; requiring twenty per cent of new apartments to be somewhat affordable; simplifying the process for accessory dwelling units; converting unused offices into apartments; and providing shelter for people coming off the streets [14]Wu has given far less appointments for one-on one meetings with private developers than her predecessors did, giving them less opportunities to directly lobby her on policies.

[107] The Boston Real Estate Board launched a campaign in 2023 to oppose Wu's measure, saying it will discourage housing production in a city and a region that already has an acute shortage, will make maintaining properties more difficult, and will hurt tax revenues.

[111] In August 2022, Wu's city administration and the state government worked together to prepare for and alleviate the impact of a several-week closure of a key segment of the MBTA Orange Line to facilitate needed repairs.

[119] In December 2021 Wu extended the fare-free pilot program for the MBTA Route 28 bus that was started under the acting mayoralty of Kim Janey by two months.

[126] On February 9, 2022, it was announced by Wu and MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak that the two-year program for the three routes to be fare-free was officially agreed to and would be launched on March 1, 2022.

The contract has also been credited as helping to achieve the goals of the Good Food Purchasing Program that was created by an ordinance that had been authored by Wu as a city councilwoman.

[139] In February 2024, the conservative group Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit against Wu claiming that she failed to honor a public records request for communications related to the holiday party.

[157] In June 2023, Wu announced a $4 million workforce development program to provide job training to 1,000 Boston residents for entry into the biotechnology industry.

[161] In May 2023, Brian McGrory of The Boston Globe observed that Wu has given greater precedence toward attending to other municipal concerns than she does to giving an audience to the city's business elites.

[163][164] Dealing with inherited crises such as Mass & Cass and the city's COVID-19 response when she took office, in her first year as mayor Wu's direct availability to business leaders was especially sparse.

[163] In May 2023, Shirley Lueng of The Boston Globe observed that, Previous mayors have welcomed tête-à-têtes with real estate developers and other captains of industry to discuss projects or other matters.

Instead, she prefers to assemble groups of leaders to help shape specific policies and forge public-private partnerships...the noticeable change in approach continues to ruffle the feathers of those who are used to having the ear of the mayor, all of which is perpetuating a narrative that Wu is indifferent to business interests.

"[161] It has been also been observed by The Boston Globe that Wu grants substantially less meetings to real estate developers than her processors had, giving them less opportunities to directly lobby her.

"[169] Contrarily, when Tufts University political science professor Jeffrey Berry gave WCVB-TV his overall positive assessment of Wu's first six months in office, he expressed the belief that her handling of outdoor dining on the North End had been a significant misstep.

In March 2023, a group of five North End restaurant owners filed an amended version of the lawsuit naming Wu as a defendant with by adding an allegation that the policy had been an act of anti-Italian discrimination.

[176][177] The contract also saw the union agree to allow pay details of the department to be made public, and for their to be more strict outlines on when officers are permitted to take medical leave.

Yawu Miller of the Bay State Banner described it as being, "the first [contract] in which [Boston] city officials have managed to secure significant reforms from the Patrolmen’s union.

[180] Before becoming mayor, Wu had also proposed dismantling the database and even had floated the idea of abolishing the Boston Regional Intelligence Center, positions which she no longer advocates for.