A packed room of Democrats, from young children to seniors, gathered Sunday evening for the Marblehead Democratic Town Committee’s annual picnic, where congressional nominee Dan Koh took center stage alongside state Sen. Brendan Crighton and state Rep. Jenny Armini.
The Sept. 14 gathering also featured a performance by the Marblehead High School chorus, which sang several patriotic songs, including the hometown favorite “Marblehead Forever.”
Koh, who won the Democratic nomination for the 6th Congressional District in the Sept. 1 primary, received an enthusiastic welcome as he thanked Marblehead voters for their support.
“Everybody, first of all, thank you so much. Marblehead has been amazing to our campaign,” Koh said. “We were so honored to carry Marblehead by 50 points. That’s because of you.”
Koh told the crowd that Democrats needed to unite after a competitive primary.
“This campaign and this entire moment is not about me. It’s about all of us, and what we are going to do in this moment in history with a president unlike any other, who is trampling our Constitution and taking away not only the rights of the people in this room, but all the people we love and everything America stands for,” he said.
Koh praised his former primary opponents, saying disagreements during the campaign should not prevent Democrats from coming together for the general election.
“Whether you supported me or the other amazing candidates in this race, I think we could agree that we had one heck of a crop of people who were in it for the right reasons, and I am honored that they have all expressed support and they are all united, like all of you, in the fight against this president,” he said.
Koh also spoke about his family history, describing himself as a product of the “American dream.” His grandfather came from a fishing village off the coast of South Korea, his grandmother was a refugee from North Korea and the other side of his family came from a village south of Beirut, Lebanon.
“All of us could come up here today and tell a story about how a good, welcoming America either welcomed you as immigrants or your ancestors, overcoming amazing odds to be here-that is what makes our country truly great,” he said.
Koh laid out several of his priorities, including health care, affordability, Social Security, childcare, student debt and civil rights.
“We can’t just unrig the system for the rich. We need to rig the system for working class people,” he said.
He also pledged to advocate for LGBTQ+ people and others facing discrimination.
“We are nothing as a Democratic Party if we are not the party of civil rights,” Koh said.
Koh turned toward the November general election near the end of his remarks, telling supporters not to become complacent after his primary victory.
“We will not sleep on this candidate,” he said of his Republican opponent, Micah Jones.
Crighton followed Koh, emphasizing party unity after the primary and praising the partnership among Democratic officeholders representing the North Shore.
“This is what we do as Democrats: we come together and we fight together,” Crighton said.
He highlighted work by Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll on housing, transportation, education and other issues, pointing in particular to changes affecting the North Shore.
“We have a ferry now, and we’ve expanded service, and it will soon be year-round,” Crighton said.
He also cited the restoration of commuter rail service in Lynn, reduced fares for lower-income riders and state efforts to address safety concerns involving e-bikes and e-scooters.
Armini picked up on the theme of Democratic accomplishments at the state level, while praising the Marblehead Democrats for their activism over the past year.
“I am so proud of the people in this room,” she said. “Since last year’s picnic, you have continued to raise your voices – planning, protesting, asking the hard questions, standing up for our values, supporting candidates, supporting each other. We are here to celebrate that. And to pick up some inspiration for the last several weeks of this election season.”
Armini urged the crowd to support Koh, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, Healey and Driscoll in November. But she argued that Democrats should be judged on more than their opposition to the Trump administration.
“This Commonwealth doesn’t just resist. It governs. We have a long tradition of leading the country when the country needs leadership. And it certainly needs it now,” she said.
Armini pointed to state action on housing, education, transportation, health care, reproductive rights, immigrant legal assistance, transgender health care and data privacy.
She singled out the recently passed PROTECT Act, which establishes statewide restrictions and standards governing interactions with federal civil immigration enforcement, including at schools, courthouses and hospitals.
“The recently passed PROTECT Act is one final example,” Armini said. “ICE’s illegal, immoral, inexcusable immigration enforcement has terrorized our communities, most especially the City of Lynn. Here again, Massachusetts is leading the way. Is the PROTECT Act going to get ICE out of our state? Sadly, no. But it’s going to make it a lot harder for them to do their jobs – and I am incredibly proud of that.”
