By Joseph Domelowicz Jr.
At the rate things are going in the race to succeed outgoing Essex County Sheriff Frank Cousins, there could wind up being more candidates for Sheriff than Republican presidential candidates.
Lynn City Councilor Darren Cyr and Lynn Police Chief Kevin Coppinger each declared their intentions to run last week in published reports in Lynn, ostensibly throwing their hats into a ring that already includes three other canddiates – Lynn resident and Democrat Michael Marks, who is the current superintendent of the Essex County Correctional Facility Democrat, fellow Essex County Sheriff’s Deputy Jerry Robito and veteran Peabody City Councilor Anne Manning-Martin, a one-time Democrat turned Republican in 2014.
Like Marks and Robito, Lynn Councilor Cyr has worked as an Essex County corrections officer and he has the added experience of having run a successful campaign for office. Cyr, an 11-year veteran of the Lynn City Council and a Democrat, has said he plans to launch his campaign in April and he has already hired a veteran campaign manager with connections across Essex County.
Cyr currently works as a regional manager for the state lottery and is a former aide to late Lynn Mayor Patrick J. McManus.
Coppinger, also a Democrat, has spent his 33-year career in law enforcement as a police officer including ,as Chief for almost 20 years and said his experience as a law enforcement administrator is important experience that will serve the people of Essex County well.
Manning-Martin, has twice run for higher office as a Democrat in Peabody, challenging State Senator Joyce Spiliotis in the primaries in 2002 and 2004, but lost both times. She is an eight-year veteran of the Peabody City Council.