LYNN — Councilor-at-Large, Ward Councilor, and School Committee candidates are reflecting on their campaigns following the results of Tuesday’s municipal election.
Cardeliz Paez and Jordan Avery will be Lynn’s new Ward 5 and Ward 7 Councilors, as incumbents Diana Chakoutis and Jay Walsh did not seek reelection. Ward 1 incumbent Pete Meaney will be retaining his seat after running against challenger Paul Gouthro.
For Councilor-at-Large, all four incumbents — Hong Net, Nicole McClain, Brian Field, and Brian LaPierre — will be maintaining their seats, as challenger Jean Michael Fana finished in fifth place.
Tristan Smith, Lorraine Gately, Andrea Satterwhite, Brian Castellanos, Brenda Ortiz McGrath, and Lenny Peña were elected to the School Committee.
Meanwhile, Mayor Jared Nicholson, Ward 2 Councilor Obed Matul, Ward 3 Councilor Coco Alinsug, Ward 4 Councilor Natasha Megie-Maddrey, and Ward 6 Councilor Fred Hogan ran unopposed.
Going into his fifth term, Field said he will “miss” Chakoutis and Walsh, but is “excited” to have Paez and Avery join the Council. He hopes to mentor them like he was first mentored when joining the Council in 2017.
In 2015, Field ran for an open seat for Ward 7 Councilor but lost to Walsh. Field said that this experience helped him appreciate challenger Jean Michael Fana’s campaign efforts.
“It was a really tough race. We are all good quality candidates. Each election is different. You learn something from it. I am grateful for the trust (my voters) have in me. People have confidence in the incumbents to do the work they were elected to do,” Field said.
Fana kept a positive attitude toward his contenders despite not claiming a Councilor-at-Large seat.
“I want to thank everyone who voted for me. I am very humbled by the people who trusted me to represent them. We put our ideas forward in a respectful manner, and I’m proud of that,” Fana said.
Fana added, “(The incumbents) are great people, and I respect them as leaders. I wasn’t running against them. We were all running for Lynn and our ideas.”
LaPierre believes his reputation for being responsive with constituent service re-solidified his Councilor-at-Large seat.
“That’s my hallmark principle. I haven’t strayed from that. People aren’t shy about reaching out to me,” LaPierre said.
LaPierre applauded the commitment of all of the candidates in this year’s election.
“Whenever you have the depth of candidacy that we have, unfortunately, some of them are going to come up short. The future is bright for candidates who want to go under public scrutiny. Having more candidates makes things stronger for the city. They built a name for themselves along with the incumbents,” LaPierre said.
When it comes to Paez and Avery joining the council, LaPierre has high hopes.
“The future is very promising with the newly elected councilors. We’re going to spend a lot of time bringing them up to speed regarding issues around the city,” LaPierre said.
Hogan believes that Paez and Avery will both have a positive impact on Lynn.
“They’re both amazing people, and I think they’re going to hit the ground running. The City Council is in good shape. Paez and Avery are both going to be amazing, and we look forward to working with them,” Hogan said.
Jay Walsh, who endorsed Avery this summer, reiterated his faith in him to fill his shoes as Ward 7 Councilor.
“I think (Avery) is going to go out there and listen to people. A lot of issues come down to the small things when you’re Ward Councilor, such as bad roads and sidewalks, that cause everyday headaches. Those are the things I think he’ll focus on,” Walsh said.
In Ward 1, Meaney is eager to start his second term.
“This is a reflection of the job I was doing. I’m happy the people of Ward 1 decided to keep me around. Visibility and connecting with voters goes a long way,” Meaney said.
Gouthro, who also ran against Meaney in 2023, said his goals centered around “lessening anxiety in the neighborhood by communicating about issues.”
“I am disappointed to not have the chance to serve my neighbors. I’m disappointed that more voters did not come out and vote, and I’m disappointed that the voters did not really do their homework to understand the difference between the two candidates,” Gouthro said of Tuesday’s results.
As for overall turnout, 12% of eligible Lynn voters cast their ballots for this year’s election, versus 15% in 2023 and 23% in 2021. LaPierre described these numbers as “lackluster.”
“We have to do a better job of raising awareness of what we do to help serve the community,” LaPierre said.
However, Alinsug said he is “impressed” with the voter turnout, as he was originally expecting lower numbers due to the uncontested mayoral race.
Alinsug also noted that Paez and Avery’s victory means that a record-breaking seven out of 11 councilors will now be people of color.
“I am very excited about these two councilors. For the first time in history, the majority of us are people of color. It truly represents the diversity of the city, and for us to be there, it’s really amazing,” Alinsug said.
Matul emphasized the importance of representation when it comes to local candidates.
“City government needs to reflect the population and the community. People are coming out to vote because they want to see that reflection. It’s going to be an improvement for the city,” Matul said.
When it comes to the School Committee, Gately believes her dedication to the Pickering Middle School Building Project helped her get elected to her sixth term, as she placed 258 points behind Smith.
“I always finish second. I’m happy with the second. It’s a good feeling to know that people are supporting you because they know you have integrity,” Gately said.
Castellanos said he is “looking forward” to working with newcomers Smith and Ortiz McGrath for his fifth term and said he “poured his heart and soul” into his campaign.
“I’m very grateful for everyone that supported me at the polls. I’m very humbled. I don’t take it for granted. There’s a lot of work to do. As an incumbent, you’ve been through different seasons of work. I’m looking forward to working hard for the students, educators, and families of Lynn. It takes a village,” Castellanos said.
Peña said his commitment to Lynn’s youth shined through in this year’s election.
“People like to see people who are always invested in the community. I don’t just show up during the election season; I show up all the time. I do many events throughout the city to help the children and the community I will continue to serve. I am grateful to be able to serve again,” Peña said.
Satterwhite said she is “motivated” and “ready to serve” on the School Committee for a second term.
“I’m proud to be a part of a group that wants to make a difference. We’ll do some really good work together for our school community, and I’m looking forward to continuing our work,” Satterwhite said.
Satterwhite also voiced her respect to everyone who participated in the race.
“I commend the candidates. Even if they didn’t win, they put in a great amount of effort, and I congratulate their commitment. I hope this doesn’t discourage them from running again if they are committed to participating in change for the Lynn community,” Satterwhite said.
Mayor Nicholson thanked candidates and voters who showed up for Tuesday’s election.
