Lynners have an important decision to make on Tuesday when they head to the polls to elect a new mayor. They can choose to move Lynn forward with a positive vision that includes all Lynners, or they can choose to fall back into the old way of doing things, with rushed decisions made following secret handshakes in smoke-filled rooms that benefit only the few.
I am convinced that the positive, inclusive progress Lynn deserves will only happen if Jared Nicholson is elected.
The next mayor needs to be ready to listen to and lead a broad array of professionals in City Hall and work collaboratively with the City Council. Mayor Tom McGee knows this firsthand, and that’s why he’s supporting Jared, too.
We need a leader who can partner with state and federal officials like myself to fix our broken public transportation and bring us much-needed housing options that allow people to stay in their communities. That’s why state Sen. Brendan Crighton supports Jared.
Our workers need someone committed to bringing good-paying jobs and standing up for them. That’s why Jared is the only candidate with any labor union endorsements, including IUE-CWA Local 201 and the North Shore Labor Council, among many others.
The families, workers, students, caregivers, and anyone who’s committed to building a bright future in Lynn know what’s at stake. That’s why community organizations like Neighbor to Neighbor and Lynn United for Change support Jared.
But despite all of us who are lined up to support him, we know that actions speak louder than words (or endorsements). So let’s take a look at the actions of Jared and his opponent.
Jared founded and led Northeastern Legal Aid’s Community Development and Entrepreneurship Practice. That’s excellent preparation for a mayor who will need to support the small businesses battered by the pandemic.
As a member of the School Committee, he served on the steering committee for the Housing Lynn plan, which will help with the rising costs of housing and benefit both renters and buyers. And he supported two Lynn high school students who forced a reckoning in the city when they proposed renaming a square next to City Hall Diversity Square and painting a large Black Lives Matter mural next to City Hall.
The main opposition to those students? Darren Cyr, the other candidate for mayor. In an era where the country is pushing itself towards equality, Cyr has stood in the way repeatedly. His misleading attack on Jared’s support for an unarmed crisis-response team to deal with mental-health emergencies reveals an approach that is far too reluctant to embrace change.
In a region where the cost of housing has grown at the fastest pace in a half century, Cyr has established himself as an opponent of affordable housing. This is not just out of step with the country and common sense, it also undermines the city’s economic growth.
The choice between Jared and the “old guard” running against him couldn’t be more stark: a forward-looking vision of a future that includes all Lynners, or one that repeats the mistakes of the past.
Jared’s endorsements from so many different groups, all with different views and goals, is an achievement on its own. It speaks to Jared’s ability to build a coalition and to the faith that people from all backgrounds and occupations have in his ability to lead. I hope you will join us and vote for Jared to be Lynn’s next mayor. There’s a lot at stake.
U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton represents Lynn and the rest of the North Shore in Congress.
