Deaglan McEachern didn't want to be the mayor of Portsmouth.

But, as a lifelong lover of people and politics, he couldn't help but join the City Council in his beloved hometown. Believing it's our duty to give back to the world that gives us so much, McEachern is devoted to use his privilege to enrich the lives of those in our sacred community. The mayor title, according to him, is simply a vessel for him to carry out his basic responsibility as a human.

In today's conversation from a random office (we got kicked out of his) at Portsmouth City Hall, Portsmouth Mayor Deaglan McEachern and I discuss:

• Governor Sununu's heroics (00:00 )


• McEachern's extensive education (03:26 )


• Professional rowing career (08:47 )


• Meeting his wife in NYC (13:47 )


• Balancing his other job (22:50 )


• Why he's the mayor of Portsmouth (27:22 )


• The biggest sacrifice he's made (33:07 )


• What's your mission? (39:13 )

Deaglan McEachern is the mayor of Portsmouth. Elected in 2021, McEachern also holds a full-time job at a tech company called Smarsh. The son of former Assistant Mayor Paul McEachern and nephew of former mayor Mary McEachern Keenan, Deaglan was born and raised on the Seacoast. A graduate of UC Berkeley, McEachern also studied at the University of Cambridge in England. Additionally, he spent 10 years as a professional rower!

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This podcast is hosted, written, researched, and produced by Spotify's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Troy Farkas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, who moved to the Seacoast in June 2023. If you'd like to nominate me for Catapult's "10 to Watch" award, which honors hard-working young professionals on the Seacoast, please do so here.