LYNN — School Committee member Jared Nicholson hosted a virtual campaign launch for his mayoral bid Wednesday night, which also served as a forum for him to discuss his plans and goals for the city.
Nicholson, who has been on the school board for six years, declared his candidacy in late March, shortly after Mayor Thomas M. McGee announced he would not be seeking re-election.
Beginning his work in Lynn when he founded a legal aid practice working with low-income entrepreneurs and small businesses, Nicholson said he immediately saw the connection between economic development and education and the importance of that connection for the future of the city.
“In this race for mayor, I’m really excited that I can draw on the experience in education and that experience in housing economic development in a way that makes me feel prepared to step up into this role at this moment,” Nicholson said. “I’m running for mayor because I believe I have the skills and experience to provide leadership for inclusive growth — to both create opportunities for growth and to make those opportunities inclusive.”
If elected, Nicholson said his immediate focus would be on helping the city recover from COVID-19, and pushing for growth that benefits the whole city and takes advantage of some of Lynn’s strengths. Some of those strengths, he said, are its diversity, history, work ethic and heart.
Former School Committee member Patricia Capano started off the Zoom event by complimenting Nicholson for his dedication to education and the community of Lynn. Citing Nicholson’s resume and experience, she said he is a great candidate for mayor because he is bilingual, maintains civility, is well-educated and has an ability to compromise as a team player.
”I cannot speak highly enough of those attributes,” Capano said. “He has had a young life here in Lynn, but he has deeply rooted himself and has certainly attained far more success than those who have lived here for 15 to 20 years.”
Rosa Feliz, the president of Punta Cana Multiservices in Lynn, said that, as a small business owner, she supports Nicholson because he has shown a lot of dedication to helping small businesses, especially during the pandemic.
As a native Spanish speaker, Feliz said she likes that Nicholson speaks her language and understands diversity.
“My ability to speak Spanish has been really helpful to be able to work directly with Spanish-speaking constituents,” Nicholson said.
Nicholson’s wife, Katherine Rushfirth, praised her husband for his “incomparable” work ethic.
“If you have been his client, his student, his colleague, you know that Jared is always prepared, always engaged and will deliver on what he promises,” Rushfirth said.
She said Nicholson brings the same amount of energy and care to everything, never losing sight of what affects people’s everyday lives.
Nicholson said his vision for Lynn includes opportunities for better and higher-paying jobs, and emphasized the importance of supporting small, local businesses as a strategy for inclusive growth.
He said he sees a future that includes improving the physical state of the schools, addressing the overwhelming rise in the cost of housing and making investments in the city’s infrastructure, which he believes will lead to economic growth.
“It’s about creating growth that includes all of Lynn,” Nicholson said. “And it’s about more peace, because peace is a precondition for opportunity.”
Nicholson said when he thinks of the future of Lynn, he thinks about his young son, Henry.
“I think about how I want to live in a Lynn that prepares Henry to be able to go anywhere, and inspires him to love it here,” he said.
Other mayoral candidates include City Council President Darren Cyr, School Committee member Michael Satterwhite, and newcomer Keith Lee, who pulled papers on Wednesday.
Satterwhite held his campaign kickoff last month and Cyr plans to launch his campaign on May 22 at his headquarters on Andrew Street.
