Reardon’s Love for Newburyport Sets Him Apart

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I am writing in support of Mayor Sean Reardon’s bid for re-election. I have known Sean since we were kids and graduated with his younger sister. My brother and Sean both graduated from NHS in 1993, and they served together in student government (my brother would not be shy about sharing that he was class president and outranked Sean at the time).

My husband and I moved to Newburyport in 2018 after spending 20 years living and working in Boston. We moved for two reasons: to be closer to my family, and because we love Newburyport. I was born and raised here but was hesitant to move back to my small hometown after so many years in the city. Still, I had strong ties to this community.

My father was one of the many small business owners who came to Newburyport in the early 1970s and helped bring downtown back to life during its renewal. Newburyport wasn’t always this nice—it took a lot of dedicated leaders and entrepreneurs to make it what it is today.

When we returned, my mother was battling cancer. She was a longtime school teacher in Amesbury and a huge supporter of Sean. During his first mayoral campaign, she was very vocal about him being the perfect choice to lead the city.

Growing up, Sean was the guy who was always smiling. He would ask how you were, even when we were little kids. He was always a team leader, a captain, and a volunteer. His leadership and kindness made a difference in everything he was involved in. My brother and Sean organized some of the most successful fundraising events Newburyport High School ever had. I’m pretty sure they still hold records for their famous “Haunted Tunnel” Halloween event that transformed the school’s basement into a scary tunnel for kids to journey through (this was before the renovation, so it was truly horrifying). Even then, Sean was tireless about getting things done and cared deeply about his community.

When I heard Sean was running for mayor, I was excited for him and for the city. I knew about Sean, and I also knew about his amazing family. His father was my first grade physical education teacher, his sister one of my first close friends, and his aunt “Mrs. Fuller” was my all-time favorite teacher. For me, voting for Sean was a no-brainer.

You might think I chose Sean because I’m a townie and he’s a townie, but that’s not true. I chose Sean because of his heart and his drive to keep this city moving in the right direction. His values mirror my own: keeping Newburyport a place where middle class people like our parents can raise a family and enjoy a hard-earned retirement among lifelong friends and family. A place that is inclusive and supportive of our most vulnerable residents and leads on issues of climate change and resiliency. And with his ability to lead with kindness and convictions, I believe he is the person best suited to succeed in turning the values into concrete solutions.

My mom also believed that just being from Newburyport wasn’t enough to qualify someone to be mayor. During his first campaign, she wrote Sean a heartfelt letter urging him to focus on why he was running, to highlight his policies clearly, and to remember that being born here isn’t what matters most. She was an award-winning educator her entire career, eloquent and empathetic, and she had a knack for seeing into people’s hearts. She understood that Sean was much more than just his hometown roots.

My mom passed away in January, shortly after Sean took office, but I know she was thrilled that “her Sean” was now the city’s mayor. Sean attended her funeral and wake, which meant so much to our family. That’s who Sean Reardon is: he shows up.

So if you are on the fence as Election Day approaches, please know that Sean’s heart is in the right place — and that is squarely on the side of the people of Newburyport. He stands up not just for the loudest voices, but for all of us. Sean Reardon is the right choice for mayor — at least for this townie.

Mark Ferrandini
Newburyport Ward 4 resident

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