Boston Mayor Marty Walsh's chief of staff Daniel Arrigg Koh will leave leaving City Hall at the end of the month, in the midst of the mayor's re-election campaign, to prepare to run for Congress next year, according to City Hall and sources familiar with the 32-year-old's plans.
Walsh's office announced Koh's intention to step down on Sept. 1 last Friday afternoon as Koh prepares for what two sources close to City Hall described as an expected run for Congress next year in Massachusetts's Third Congressional District. The city's chief financial officer Dave Sweeney will take over as chief of staff.
U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas announced recently that she would not seek a sixth full term in Congress in 2018, creating a rare opening in the delegation that has drawn interest from a number of current and former elected officials from the Merrimack Valley.
Operatives who have discussed the race with possible candidates say Koh, who grew up in Andover, has expressed sincere interest in entering the race.
"Serving as Chief of Staff has been an incredible honor and I am grateful to the people of Boston and Mayor Walsh for the opportunity," Koh said in a statement. "David Sweeney is a model public servant who has impeccably managed the city's financial health over the past term. He is a fantastic choice for Chief of Staff and Boston is incredibly lucky to have him."
The Third Congressional District includes urban centers like Lowell, Lawrence and Haverhill as well as leafy suburbs like Westford and Groton.
Koh's resignation from City Hall clears the path for him to put down more concrete roots in Tsongas's district and begin to build the campaign infrastructure and fundraising apparatus that will be necessary for a first-time candidate.
Prior to being hired by Walsh to oversee his administration, Koh worked as general manager of HuffPost Live and chief of staff to the media company's founder Arianna Huffington. He has an undergraduate and business degree from Harvard University.
Koh's father, Dr. Howard Koh, served as public health commissioner under Gov. William Weld and assistant secretary for health and human services under President Barack Obama. His mother Dr. Claudia Arrigg is an opthamologist in Lawrence.
Other possible Democratic candidates for the open House seat include state Sens. Eileen Donoghue, Jamie Eldridge and Barbara L'Italien, former state Sen. Barry Finegold, Ellen Murphy Meehan, a hospital consultant and ex-wife of former Congressman and UMass President Marty Meehan and 2014 lieutenant governor nominee Steve Kerrigan.
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