LYNN — An incumbent mayor, trailblazing city council president and new faces on the city council and school committee will highlight the City of Lynn Inauguration Ceremony tonight at 6 at Lynn Auditorium in City Hall.
Mayor Jared C. Nicholson, who ran unopposed in November for a second term, will be sworn in by the Honorable Lisa Core, a judge in Lynn District Court.
Ward 3 Councilor Coco Alinsug has secured the votes to be elected council president, replacing Jay Walsh, who did not run for re-election in Ward 7. Fred Hogan, Ward 6 councilor, is expected to be elected council vice president.
The 2026 city council includes two newcomers, Ward 5 councilor Cardeliz Paez and Ward 7 councilor Jordan Avery, replacing Dianna Chakoutis, who did not seek re-election, and Walsh, respectively.
There will be two new school committee members sworn in, Brenda Ortiz McGrath and Tristan Smith. Also present will be Molly Cohen, who has been serving as superintendent of schools since October 16.
Nicholson was elected the 59th mayor of Lynn in 2021, promising to focus on inclusive growth through better schools, housing, jobs and infrastructure.
“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 the mayor begins his second term, he will reflect on accomplishments of the last four years, including the creation of housing that is market rate and affordable, increasing the number of jobs in Lynn to pre-pandemic levels and higher, opening a new senior center, and securing the largest private investment in the City’s history, a $450 million project at the South Harbor site. 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.
Alinsug, who will begin his third term, will become the first person of color to serve as council president.
“Being a city councilor in this great city is a big honor and a big responsibility, and I will never fail the people of Lynn,” he said. “I will serve them with all my might and heart.”
Alinsug followed in the footsteps of four generations of family members who served as elected officials in the Philippines. When he was 18, Alinsug was the youngest staff member working for the president of the country. At 22, he was the youngest delegate sent to represent the Philippines at the United Nations, his first exposure to the United States.
Alinsug moved to the U.S. in 1996 at age 23. When he was first elected to the City Council in 2021, he became the first Filipino-American city councilor in New England.
At the inauguration tonight, 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. The Lynn Public Schools All-City Band will perform.
The inauguration ceremony is open to the public.
