LYNN — While all eyes were on the spirited council race in Ward 2 and the fight for the mayor’s office, a formidable challenger to Ward 1 City Councilor Wayne Lozzi emerged during the primary.
William O’Shea, a 54-year-old attorney, came within 145 votes of Lozzi, who has served on the council since 2004. The seven-term city councilor could be in the fight for his political life.
The last time Lozzi had an opponent was in the 2013 primary, when Debra Plunkett captured 46 percent of the vote compared to his 54 percent.
But the O’Shea name seems to have some cache in the ward. His father, also named William, served as Councilor-at-Large many years ago.
“I was not surprised by the vote,” he said. “I’ve lived in Ward 1 for 27 years and I’ve coached youth hockey for 15. I’ve had a great deal of the constituent’s kids in sports and I’m a lawyer with lots of clients. I am very well known around here…and I am going to win.”
As O’Shea goes door-to-door, he said voters complain that Lozzi does not return phone calls.
”There are quite a few people who are unhappy about that,” he said. “People are complaining about the infrastructure in the city, especially in Ward 1, where the sidewalks are broken up and the streets are awful.”
In his campaign literature, O’Shea complains of dwindling police and fire protection in the city, as well as the deplorable conditions of some of the city’s schools.
But when asked how he will pay for an increase in services and new schools, O’Shea said “That’s a good question, I wish I had the answer.”
“But why did we build the new Marshall Middle School for $90 million and leave other schools with nothing?”
Still, Lozzi, 60, said he is not worried.
“There’s always something we call confident concern,” he said. “Look, Osama bin Laden would get several hundred votes against me automatically…There are instances where some people will not vote for you.”
Lozzi said he is not focused on the preliminary vote and rather is meeting voters.
“I’m letting people people in Ward 1 know that I’m making lots of accomplishments and I have lots of good experience,” he said. “While the city is facing financial difficulties, I’m working to get our community designated as a green city which would bring in $500,000 and each year we would be eligible for $250,000. I don’t see any other councilor or candidate pushing this. It’s Wayne Lozzi.”
When it comes to political donations, Lozzi is far ahead. As of Sept. 15, Lozzi had $9,454 in the bank to gear up for the November election. O’Shea was down to $3,299, according to the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance.
