Thomas P. Koch

Thomas P. Koch
Koch in 2024
33rd Mayor of Quincy, Massachusetts
Assumed office
January 2, 2008
Preceded byWilliam J. Phelan
Personal details
Born (1963-01-22) January 22, 1963 (age 61)
Quincy, Massachusetts
Political partyIndependent (since 2018)
Democratic (until 2018)[1]
SpouseChristine Keenan Koch
Children3

Thomas P. Koch (/kk/ KOHK;[2] born January 22, 1963) is the thirty-third and current mayor of Quincy, Massachusetts.

Biography[edit]

Mayor Koch was born and raised in Quincy the sixth of seven children to Simone and Richard J. Koch. He is 1981 a graduate of North Quincy High School and was the class president. He took classes at the University of Massachusetts Boston, however does not have a college degree. Quincy Mayor James Sheets appointed him his top aide in 1990. In 1995, he was appointed commissioner of the city's Park Department.

Political career[edit]

In February 2007, he resigned and challenged Sheets' successor, William J. Phelan.[3] Koch defeated Phelan 54% to 46%.[4]

Koch has served as chairman of the MBTA Advisory Board since 2011.[5]

Koch was formerly a Democrat but left the party in 2018 because of his anti-abortion views.[6] Later that year, he endorsed Republican Governor Charlie Baker's bid for re-election in the 2018 Massachusetts Gubernatorial Election.[7][8]

In August 2021, the MBTA Advisory Board selected Koch to serve as its representative on the MBTA Board of Directors.[5]

During 2018, Koch was interim president of the municipally-affiliated Quincy College.

Personal life[edit]

Koch is Roman Catholic.[6] Koch is the brother-in-law of Massachusetts State Senator John F. Keenan.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Hilliard, John. "Quincy's longest-serving mayor faces off with repeat challenger Tuesday". Boston Globe. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  2. ^ Koch, Thomas (January 7, 2008). "Quincy mayor Tom Koch takes office" (video). youtube.com. Patriot Ledger.
  3. ^ Preer, Robert (February 4, 2007). "Ex-aide runs for mayor". The Boston Globe.
  4. ^ Preer, Robert (June 4, 2009). "Race for mayor now a rematch". The Boston Globe.
  5. ^ a b Hilliard, John (August 24, 2021). "Quincy's Mayor Koch to serve on new MBTA Board of Directors". Boston Globe. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  6. ^ a b Cotter, Sean Philip (February 8, 2018). "Koch leaves Democratic Party over abortion". Patriot Ledger. Archived from the original on 2018-08-14. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  7. ^ Schoenberg, Shira (2014-09-16). "Democratic Mayor Tom Koch of Quincy to endorse Republican gubernatorial nominee Charlie Baker". masslive. Retrieved 2022-09-24.
  8. ^ @charliebakerma (August 12, 2018). "@KarynPolito and I were proud to be in Quincy today" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved 2023-05-15 – via Twitter.

External links[edit]

Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Quincy, Massachusetts
January 2, 2008 -
Succeeded by
incumbent