LaPierre Topped the Ticket in Councillor-at-Large Race:He Says Hard Work Led to His First-place Finish

Brian LaPierre was everywhere the past 12 months presenting his vision for the city, talking about issues, and asking residents to consider granting him one of their four votes in the Lynn councillor-at-large election.

He walked door to door through each ward of the city meeting residents at their homes. There were coffee hours, meet-the-candidate events, and old-fashioned campaign fundraisers on the LaPierre campaign calendar.

The hard work on the campaign trail paid off handsomely on Election Day with LaPierre receiving an impressive total of 5,631 votes, finishing ahead of three popular incumbents, Daniel Cahill, Hong Net, and Buzzy Barton, who were re-elected as councilors-at-large.

LaPierre’s stunning, first-place finish even surprised the candidate himself.

“When we started this campaign we were going for one of the four seats,” said the 41-year-old LaPierre, a political organizer for the American Federation of Teachers in Massachusetts.  “Never could I have imagined that we would do so well across the city and it’s quite a great feeling. But I knew as we progressed along the campaign that things started to click and we ran a really strong campaign.

“Some people are calling it a textbook campaign or a classic campaign,” added LaPierre.

The councillor-at-large-elect said it wasn’t a complex campaign strategy that propelled his ascension to the top of the ticket.

“We dealt with very simple issues like speaking to voters, getting to know them, and seeing what’s on their minds,” he said. “So the end result – although very overwhelming and certainly a surprise – when you look back at the campaign itself people really responded to it and Lynners rewarded hard work.”

LaPierre announced his candidacy on Oct. 30, 2014 after Councillor-at-Large Brendan Crighton announced that he would not be seeking re-election, having been elected as the state representative for Lynn and Nahant.

“There was an open seat and an opportunity to serve Lynn so we focused on that seat running citywide,” said LaPierre.

LaPierre traveled to all areas and public venues in the city to meet the voters. “I met voters at the dog park on Parkland Avenue and would give out dog treats. I don’t own a dog but I got to speak with voters and we got to know each other and I connected with 5-10 people at a time. It was a neighbor-to-neighbor campaign that emerged.”

He distributed small bottles of water to residents on Lynn Dumpster Days. He developed a strong social media campaign on Facebook and Twitter.

LaPierre said that Ward 7 resident Sean Reid, a graduate of North Shore Community College and a student at Amherst College, served as his campaign manager. “He was really my partner in the campaign who did a tremendous amount of work for me. He really helped get the vote out. I owe a lot to Sean.”

LaPierre has received many congratulatory wishes following his victory and he’s looking to serving with his future colleagues on the Council.

“We’re looking forward to working really well as a Council because that’s the message from the Lynn voters. They want folks who are going to get along on the Council and they want good progress to be seen in the n

Councillor-at-Large-Elect Brian LaPierre, with his wife, Kelly Curtin LaPierre, and their children, Owen LaPierre and Dylan LaPierre.

Councillor-at-Large-Elect Brian LaPierre, with his wife, Kelly Curtin LaPierre, and their children,
Owen LaPierre and Dylan LaPierre.

ext couple of years and a continuance of that open communication and good working relationship with Mayor Kennedy. I look forward to working with the mayor.”

LaPierre said his wife’s support and hard work were instrumental in the success of the campaign.

“Kelly Curtin LaPierre – the rock of the relationship, she’s unbelievable,” said LaPierre. “And we have two children, Owen, 8, and Dylan, 5, who both attend school in Lynn.”

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