Mayor-elect Walsh to be sworn in Jan. 6

BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- Boston Mayor-elect Marty Walsh told reporters Wednesday he plans to resign as a state representative sometime after the first of the year.

Walsh answered questions in Boston Common one day after beating City Councilor John Connolly in a close mayoral race.

The mayor-elect said he received a congratulatory phone calls from President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. He comically said President Obama initially called his cousin, also named Marty, but he didn't answer the phone.

"He commented on my field he said, 'You had a great field operation, congratulations. Anything that I can do for you or we can do for you here at the White House we certainly offer it up,'" Walsh explained of the president's phone call.

The Dorchester native missed the vice president's call, but he left a voicemail saying it was great to see a "kid from the neighborhood win."

Walsh went more in-depth in explaining a phone call he had with his opponent. John Connolly called him after the results came in to share his congratulations and support.

"John has been my friend, we've been friends, he mentioned it last night, for a long time. He ran a great race he talked about the issue of education where he really brought it to the forefront and I think that's an important piece here in the City of Boston and I look forward to talking to John over the course of the next few days to sit down and talk to him about it. He said to me you're my mayor and you have my support, unconditional support," the mayor-elect said.

Walsh continued to express his respect for outgoing Mayor Thomas Menino Wednesday, publicly thanking him for his more than 20 years of service to the city during another press conference held after the men had a meeting to discuss transitioning from one administration to another. He later noted that he won the longtime mayor's neighborhood, Hyde Park.

When asked if he would like to stay in office as long as Mayor Menino, Walsh said he takes his life day to day.

Menino, who announced he would not seek re-election in the spring, said office space on Franklin Street has been provided to Walsh for the weeks leading up to his swearing in ceremony. Walsh is scheduled to be sworn in as the city's 54th mayor on January 6, 2014.

Cox Media Group