LYNN — Ward 5 City Councilor Dianna Chakoutis doesn’t seem to have anything to worry about it when it comes to retaining her seat.
Of the 513 votes cast in primary, her opponent, Marven Hyppolite, received just 153 votes. In contrast, the incumbent sailed through the race with 358 votes or 70 percent.
Still, Hyppolite said he is not throwing in the towel.
“Diana is well liked, but I will stick with it through the last day and we’ll see what happens,” he said “Only 11 percent of the people came out to vote and those 358 votes for Dianne were her base.”
This is the second time Hyppolite has tried to unseat the popular councilor. In 2015, a year without a preliminary election, he received 371 votes or 37 percent in the final while Chakoutis won with 621 votes or 62 percent of the vote.
“To be honest, people are ready for change,” he said. “The reception I get is good when I knock on doors. People feel the city’s resources are not getting to them and taxes and rents are too high.”
Despite her lead, Chakoutis continues to campaign hard.
“I never take anything for granted,” she said. “I will continue to do what I’ve been doing: working with my constituents, listening to them and trying to resolve problems.”
