LYNN — Mayor Jared C. Nicholson will officially begin his second four-year term when he takes the oath of office at the 2026 City of Lynn Inauguration Ceremony. The inauguration will be held Monday, Jan. 5 at 6 p.m. at Lynn Auditorium in City Hall.
Also at the inauguration, 11 city councilors and six School Committee members will be sworn in. The mayor serves as chair of the school committee.
The City Council includes two newcomers, Ward 5 Councilor Cardeliz Paez and Ward 7 Councilor Jordan Avery. They will join ward councilors Dr. Peter Meaney, Obed Matul, Constantino “Coco” Alinsug, Natasha Medie-Maddrey, and Fred Hogan, and Councilors-at-Large Brian Field, Brian LaPierre, Nicole McClain, and Hong Net.
Alinsug said he has secured the votes to be elected council president, replacing Jay Walsh, who did not run for re-election in Ward 7. Hogan is expected to be elected vice president.
The School Committee members include incumbents Brian Castellanos, Lorraine Gately, Lenny Pena, and Andrea Satterwhite. They will be joined by newcomers Brenda Ortiz McGrath and Tristan Smith.
The oath of office will be administered by the Honorable Lisa Core, a judge in Lynn District Court.
Nicholson was elected the 59th mayor of Lynn in 2021 and took office on Jan. 3, 2022, promising to focus on inclusive growth through better schools, housing, jobs, and infrastructure.
“Our job now, and my plan for the next four years, is to make sure that we continue to make the most of these opportunities and that they translate into gains for the residents of Lynn,” Nicholson said at the time. “To do that, we need inclusive and balanced growth. We need strong execution of core City functions and successful implementation of our many plans with equity in mind.”
Nicholson was unopposed in his re-election bid in November.
“Four years ago, we ran a campaign promising a strong recovery from COVID-19 and inclusive growth. Thanks to the tireless efforts of so many, we have delivered,” Nicholson said.
As he begins his second term, the mayor will reflect on accomplishments of the last four years, including the creation of housing that is market rate and affordable, leading the City’s recovery from the pandemic, increasing the number of jobs in Lynn to pre-pandemic levels and higher, opening a new senior center, securing the largest private investment in the City’s history — $450 million at the South Harbor site on the Lynnway — and paving a record number of roads this year. A new Pickering Middle School is scheduled to open in the 2027-28 school year.
“We are building a reputation as a community that gets things done and takes care of one another, a community where growth for all of us is a defining characteristic,” Nicholson said.
At the inauguration, the honor guards will come from the Lynn Police, Lynn Fire, and Lynn English High School JROTC. Nicholson will be escorted by Police Chief Chris Reddy, Fire Chief Dan Sullivan, and members of the mayor’s office staff. The mayor will be accompanied by his wife, Katherine Rushfirth, and their children, Henry and Benjamin.
Cobbet Elementary School second-graders will be leading the Pledge of Allegiance, while St. Mary’s High School student Mirabelle Calaunan will sing the National Anthem. Pastor Eduardo Cáceres of Iglesia de Dios de La Profecia de Lynn will give the invocation.
The Lynn Public Schools All-City Band will perform, along with Poet Laureate Michelle Richardson, the Iskwelahang Pilipino of Boston, and In the Mak’n dance groups. After the mayor’s inaugural address, benediction will be offered by Rev. Gina Tillotson-Cordy of the First Church of Christ Nazarene.
The inauguration ceremony is open to the public.
