LYNN — If you see the last name Satterwhite twice on your ballot in this year’s election, don’t worry, it’s not a mistake. Spouses Michael Satterwhite and Andrea Satterwhite are both running for municipal office — Michael Satterwhite for City Council and Andrea Satterwhite for School Committee.
After consulting with four Lynn election observers, it was deemed that this is the first time a married couple has run on the same ballot in the city.
They hadn’t planned to run at the same time, Michael Satterwhite, who is running for Ward One city councilor, said.
Andrea Satterwhite, a nurse practitioner, decided to run for her kids, she said.
The couple has three children, one at Lynn English High School, one going into kindergarten at Lynn Woods Elementary School, and one in preschool. Both Michael Satterwhite and Andrea Satterwhite attended public schools in Lynn growing up.
“We have at least another 15 years in the Lynn public-school system,” Andrea Satterwhite said. “I think that we both, being a product of the Lynn public-school system, can see the challenges that we face currently.”
Michael Satterwhite hadn’t even planned on running at all, he said.
It was the late Gordon “Buzzy” Barton, an at-large city councilor who died in April, who encouraged him to.
“He pretty much bluntly asked me, ‘Why aren’t you running?’” Michael Satterwhite said. “‘He said, ‘I think that if you run for [Ward One] you can get elected.’”
So he pulled nomination papers.
Michael Satterwhite is an attorney and has been in politics for around six years now. He was elected to the School Committee in 2017, and ran for mayor in 2021.
From his four years on the School Committee and his mayoral race, he said the people of Lynn know his stance on wanting to help the city.
“I think that when you’re a leader in the community, you’re a leader in the community whether you’re elected or not,” Michael Satterwhite said.
Michael Satterwhite has lived in Ward One since he was 21.
“This is the place that I call home, this is the place that my kids go to school. I have a vested interest in what’s going on here, I own multiple buildings and properties in this area,” he said. “And I want to make it a fun, safe place for families. And I want it to be accessible.”
A main focus of his campaign is making Lynn affordable.
“Lynn is so heavily reliant on residential-property taxes for revenues. It hurts us,” Michael Satterwhite said.
Andrea Satterwhite listed key points for her platform, such as safety improvements, educational training, student achievement, and community partnerships.
“Safety is number one, with my kids in the school system and the current experiences that I’ve had with safety, we do not have a safe environment, not for our kids or the teachers,” Andrea Satterwhite said.
This is her first time running for office, but she said she is not new to the school system or Lynn.
“And I’ve had a great role model here,” she said, gesturing to her husband. “He’s super intelligent, data-driven, and he has definitely inspired me in making my decision to run for Lynn School Committee.”
Andrea Satterwhite said that they both have the “motivation” and “diligence” to take on the two roles of leadership.
Their campaigns, Michael Satterwhite said, are completely separate.
“Just because we’re married doesn’t mean we’re disqualified from trying to do better for our city,” he said.
When asked if there would be a conflict of interest if they are both elected, he said their paths in these roles will rarely cross.
“I think that if anything, people realize that we both have a solid foundation,” Michael Satterwhite said. “And if you think that I’m an honest person that will do the right thing, I would hope that they would think the person I married and trust would do the same thing, and vice versa.”
