LYNN — Residents will cast their votes next week in a preliminary election that will narrow the field of mayoral candidates.
The preliminary election on Tuesday, Sept. 14 will eliminate one of the three candidates for mayor. Voters will also choose their preferred candidates for City Council and School Committee, but candidates in those races will not be eliminated before the November election.
City Council President Darren Cyr and School Committee members Jared Nicholson and Michael Satterwhite are running for the office of mayor, hoping to replace Mayor Thomas M. McGee, who announced in March that he would not run for reelection.
Cyr has served on the City Council for 16 years and has been its president for more than five. The Lynn native has cited building new schools as one of his major priorities if elected. He has also emphasized the need for development in the downtown area, saying that it will bring in more money to improve the city.
Nicholson, who has a background in law and legal aid, also hopes to see new schools and expanded educational resources in Lynn’s public schools. He has spoken in support of the Housing Lynn Plan, for which he served on the steering committee, and wants to offer more resources for small businesses.
Satterwhite, also an attorney, has spent the past seven years fighting on behalf of special-education students in Lynn and the surrounding area. He has emphasized equity in resources and hiring, both in schools and throughout city government. Satterwhite is also in support of providing more affordable housing available in Lynn.
In addition to the mayoral race, there are seven candidates for at-large councilor. Current councilors Buzzy Barton, Brian Field, Brian LaPierre and Hong Net are running to retain their at-large seats. Other candidates are Nicole McClain, founder and president of North Shore Juneteenth Association; Marven Hyppolite, a Haitian immigrant and caseworker in the office of Congressman Seth Moulton; and Jose Encarnacion, a Dominican immigrant, community activist and board member at the North Shore Latino Business Association.
In Ward 2, Elizabeth Figueroa is challenging incumbent Rick Starbard. In Ward 3, the seat vacated by Cyr in his bid for mayor, candidates Coco Alinsug and George Meimeteas are running. In Ward 4, Natasha Megie-Maddrey is challenging incumbent Richard Colucci. Wayne Lozzi (Ward 1), Dianna Chakoutis (Ward 5), Fred Hogan (Ward 6) and Jay Walsh (Ward 7) are all running unopposed.
There are nine candidates running for the six-seat School Committee. Incumbents Brian Castellanos, Donna Coppola and Lorraine Gately are vying to retain their seats. Eric Dugan, Sandra Lopez, Tiffany Magnolia, Lennin Peña, Daniel Richard and Posan Ung are also running.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
