Giving Thanks for A Life of Public Service

Over the coming weeks and months in Massachusetts and across the country, people of different faiths and nationalities will take part in the season of giving. For my family and me, as is the case for most of us, that time will begin with Thanksgiving when we give thanks for the many blessings in our lives.

When celebrating Thanksgiving this year, I will be thankful for many things: my family, our health and the love we share for each other. When reflecting on the past year, I will also be incredibly grateful for the opportunity to explore a new way to serve in pubic life.

Throughout the summer and early fall, thousands of people welcomed me into their lives, allowing me to talk about my vision for our shared future as part of my candidacy to replace Senator Ed Markey in the United States Congress.

While I came up short in my effort to win the Democratic nomination, I want to thank each person I met along the way – from those who invited me into their homes, to the commuters who took time to speak with me while racing through a busy transit station, and the countless voters who attended forums across the 5th Congressional District to educate themselves about the candidates in the race.

It will forever remain one of the great privileges of my life to have been afforded the opportunity to make so many new friends while reinforcing and crystalizing the core beliefs that led me to first run for legislative office in 1996. Those beliefs will continue to drive me as Sheriff of Middlesex County.

As the special general election for the 5th Congressional District seat approaches, I am supporting State Senator Katherine Clark. Katherine and I have worked together while both serving in the Legislature and I know she will represent us well in Washington.

Please remember to vote on Tuesday, December 10 and stay engaged beyond this election to ensure the issues we care about remain front and center. Whether it is addressing the issue of gun violence, guaranteeing equal rights for women or ensuring all Americans have access to affordable, quality health care, we must continue to fight for the values that we all care so deeply about.

This year, there will be lots of love and joy around our family’s holiday table. We have a lot to be thankful for, including the wonderful community we call home. I wish you and your family a happy Thanksgiving filled with the hope and promise you have afforded me throughout my tenure in public life.

Peter J. Koutoujian is a former Democratic candidate for the Massachusetts 5th Congressional District and is the current Sheriff of Middlesex County.