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Newburyport Daily News 6/26/25

Ward 2 race taking shape By Matt Petry — The race for Ward 2 is beginning to take shape as three residents, including incumbent City Councilor Jennie Donahue, have obtained nomination papers for the position. The most recent person to pull papers was Shawn Fenn, who currently works for the Collin Center in the McCormack School of Policy and Global Studies at UMass-Boston. “The mission is to provide affordable consulting services to local governments in applying best practices across multiple areas. We work closely with the Department of Local Services and others,” Fenn said. Also serving as Newburyport Girls Basketball Association president, Fenn said he has been working in municipal government in some capacity for the last 25 years. “I have a master’s in public administration from Suffolk. It’s really a passion of mine to be involved. I believe strongly in contributing. Local government, to me, is the most interesting and impactful level,” Fenn said. At 51 years old, he said he felt now was the right time to take the leap and run, noting that it had nothing to do with any issues against Donahue. “When I made the decision to run, I wanted to make sure it wasn’t about being a counterpoint to anyone. This isn’t about being against somebody,” Fenn said. Donahue said she thought it was a good thing to have another competitor enter the race. “I think everybody should be challenged. That is healthy,” Donahue said. Having pulled papers herself, Donahue said she does intend to return them and run for reelection. “I feel I bring a very valuable voice to the council, one that’s not going to be represented in the same way without me in that seat in terms of my general focus on access, safety, equity, and inclusion,” Donahue said. In the midst of her second term after being elected in 2021, Donahue spoke about what she has been able to accomplish including getting affordable housing for seniors at the Brown School and helping push the city to buy the former National Guard building on Low Street for the future Recreation and Youth Services center. “I was happy to do it, it was overdue, in my opinion,” Donahue said. Asked about key issues he is concerned about, Fenn described himself as a “nuts and bolts” kind of guy. “I’ve spent years in the administrative side actually implementing things. Some of the most pressing issues, when I talk to neighbors, may not be glamorous, but streets and sidewalks are always top concerns,” Fenn said. He further said he would love to focus on the Bartlet Mall Frog Pond and Brown School reuse projects. Asked about returning papers, he said he hopes to do so in the coming weeks. “I’ve spoken with friends and neighbors in the ward, and I don’t anticipate any issues getting 50 signatures,” Fenn said. One other resident, Dillon Thompson, has pulled papers for Ward 2. Not naming any occupation, he said his goal in entering the race is to secure funding for an invention of his. “I’ve tried to obtain funds from local, federal, and state sources, but it hasn’t worked. So maybe if I get elected as a representative, I can influence the local process better,” Thompson said. Nomination papers must be taken out and returned to the city clerk’s office by Aug. 12 to be on either a potential Sept. 16 preliminary election ballot or in the Nov. 4 municipal election. Matt Petry covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: mpetry@northofboston.com.