Charlestown Representative Joins Growing List of Boston Electeds to Back Jon Santiago for Mayor
Mayoral candidate and South End State Rep. Jon Santiago has earned the endorsement of another Boston legislator, with Charlestown State Rep. Dan Ryan joining the Santiago campaign for mayor this week.
“I’m proud to support Jon Santiago for Mayor and am excited to begin campaigning side by side with him,” said Ryan. “Dr. Santiago is a proven leader of teams, a passionate public servant, and frontline healthcare worker that we need in this moment for our city. Jon is uniquely positioned to lead our city through these challenging times and chart a full and equitable recovery for Boston.”
Ryan was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2014 and represents the 2nd Suffolk District, including Charlestown. Ryan currently serves as the Chair of the Joint Committee on Election Laws. In the House, Ryan has been among the body’s leading voices on issues important to veterans. He was also among the most vocal advocates for the landmark 2018 opioid prevention bill, engaging with law enforcement and advocates to expand crisis intervention response training. He and Santiago worked closely together on the milestone Student Opportunity Act, passing a once-in-a-generation package to strengthen public education in Boston and throughout the Commonwealth.
“Dan Ryan is a tireless advocate for Boston at the state house and in his community, and I’m honored to welcome him to our campaign,” said Santiago. “His work on the opioid crisis, issues important to veterans, and expanding public education funding have helped create a safer and stronger Massachusetts. His endorsement is so important in this race, and I look forward to working with him to lead us through a recovery to post-pandemic Boston that’s stronger than ever before.”
With today’s endorsement, Ryan joins four of his colleagues in the legislature including Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz, Assistant Majority Leader Mike Moran and Representatives Kevin Honan and Ed Coppinger in supporting Santiago’s campaign. Other notable endorsements for Santiago include Laborers Local Union 223, community leader Horace Small, former Executive Director of the Union of Minority Neighborhoods, and the Latino Victory Fund.
Jon Santiago is currently serving his second term as the State Representative for the 9th Suffolk District representing the South End, Roxbury, Back Bay, and Fenway neighborhoods of Boston. He is an emergency room physician employed at Boston Medical Center, the city’s safety net hospital. He serves as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve and has deployed overseas. Prior to these experiences, Santiago served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic. He lives in the South End with his wife, Alexandra.