Page 2 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, OCTObEr 16, 2026 AT SAUGUS CENTER: Lynn City Councilor Pete Meaney talks with three supporters he recognized from the week before, across the street from Saugus Town Hall on Saturday, Oct. 10. Meaney approached the group while campaigning for state representative in Saugus. (Photo to The Saugus Advocate by Aidan DeLange) “WE’RE STILL HERE!” Since 1947 MALDEN AUTO BODY Book online: Maldenauto.com 49 Robin St., Everett, MA 617-389-3030 * Maldenab@yahoo.com Over 79 years of exceptional service! Massone Family Owned & Operated THE MEANEY-MOBILE: Dentist and Lynn City Councilor Pete Meaney stood beside his 15-year-old campaign truck outside the Saugus Public Library while campaigning for state representative in Saugus on Saturday, Oct. 10. (Photo to The Saugus Advocate by Aidan DeLange) ELECTION | FROM PAGE 1 But that experience made him wonder whether residents were getting adequate representation, Meaney said in a January interview with The Advocate. “I was a sitting city councilor who wasn’t getting any response,” he said. “Imagine what it would be like if I were just one of [Wong’s] constituents.” But politics, or even the stable life he currently has, were not always on Meaney’s radar. His childhood was marked by his father’s alcohol use as well as by his mother’s generosity despite working in a factory to make ends meet. “She’d give you the shirt off her back,” he said. “I think that’s the basis of why I like to give back.” Meaney graduated from high school in 2002. Soon afterward, a fi ght with his father led to him being kicked out of the house, he said. Meaney then joined the Navy and returned to Lynn in 2006 and attended North Shore Community College, where he worked as a truck driver while THE CHALLENGER: Lynn City Councilor Pete Meaney, the Democratic candidate for the 9th Essex District House seat, is running to oust longtime state Rep. Donald Wong (R-Saugus) in the Nov. 3 election. Wong, first elected in 2010, seeks his ninth twoyear term representing the district, which includes eight of the 10 precincts in Saugus and parts of Lynn and Wakefi eld. Wong was reelected in three consecutive elections (2024, 2022 and 2020) without opposition before this year. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) taking classes. He later studied chemistry and biology at the University of Connecticut. In 2009, between semesters at UConn, he lived in his car. “I had nowhere to go,” Meaney said. “I was just hanging out in the gym.” He then got accepted into Boston University’s dental school, where he graduated from in 2014. Since 2016, he has been the owner of Broadway Family Dental in Lynn. He started with four employees and now has 12. Meaney said he built his career through long hours and persistence. “Worked my ass off,” he said. His campaign manager, Damon Xavier Mitchem, said Meaney often leaves the dental offi ce in the afternoon and immediately dives into campaigning, whether it’s knocking on doors, making calls or attending events. “He’s always trying to genuinely get to know what [residents’] problems are and how he can help them,” Mitchem said. Some Saugus residents said Meaney’s personal manner helped him win their support. Margaret Lankow, who returned to Saugus after decades away, called Meaney “very friendly and down to earth” and said she voted for him in the DemocratELECTION | SEE PAGE 5
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