Mayor J. Fiorentini hosts a meet and greet for Dan Koh Saturday on River Street. (WHAV News photograph)
The race to September 4’s primary is officially on, and Haverhill’s Mayor James J. Fiorentini is making it known that he’s on Team Dan Koh. On Saturday afternoon, Fiorentini invites locals to a community meet and greet at the 3rd district congressional candidate’s campaign office at 63 River St. The event is an informal session and not a fundraiser.
Vying to succeed retiring congresswoman Niki Tsongas, Koh opened his Haverhill office in May, nabbing support from Fiorentini and Haverhill City Council President John A. Michitson in the months since.
This past Monday, Aug. 13, Koh made a final plea to voters during an appearance on WHAV’s Open Mic Show With Bill Macek.
“People are really struggling and we’re seeing inequality at record levels. We need to make sure we’re creating the kind of government and programs in which working class people really have the ability to get a leg up, and I don’t think that’s happening today,” the democrat told Macek and cohost Bill Ellis during the segment.
An advocate for affordable healthcare for all and well-paying jobs, Koh pledges to keep Haverhill top of mind should he head to Washington, D.C. as the district’s newest congressman. In fact, he tells WHAV he draws political inspiration from none other than Fiorentini.
“When I first got involved in this race, I talked to people all across the district and said, ‘Who are the leaders in this district? Who are the people who are true public servants who have single-handedly transformed their community?’ One name came up over and over again and it was Mayor Jim Fiorentini,” Koh said. “Mayor Fiorentini has dedicated his life to making the city that he loves better. We need people in DC who know how important it is to have the relationships with the people doing the work every single day.”