Tedeschi Kicks off Campaign for Congress

PLYMOUTH – Marshfield Republican Peter Tedeschi officially kicked off his campaign for Congress Thursday night in Plymouth.

Speaking to a group of supporters and Republican party officials at Plimoth Plantation, Tedeschi said he has flirted with the idea of running for office for upwards to thirty years. He said he thought now was the right time to jump into the world of politics.

Tedeschi, the President and CEO of the Tedeschi’s convenience store chain, will challenge incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Keating in next year’s election.

In his announcement speech, Tedeschi traced the roots of his family’s business to his grandfather’s first store in Rockland and said his business experience makes him a strong candidate for the job.

“I want to help strengthen our business environment, our jobs climate, and I’m the type of person that can do that,” Tedeschi said.

Keating, a Bourne Democrat, has held the seat since 2010 and defeated Republican challenger Mark Alliegro in 2016. He beat John Chapman in 2014 and topped Sandwich Republican Jeff Perry in a heated race to win his first term in Congress.

Keating was uncontested in 2012.

If Tedeschi were to win, he would break the Democrats hold on the Massachusetts congressional delegation. There are currently no elected Republicans from Massachusetts in Washington.

“I think we’ve got a good shot,” Tedeschi said. “This is a very conservative district and I believe that my views really represent the majority of the views of voters here, whether they be Republican, Independent, or Democratic.”

In his announcement speech, Tedeschi criticized the Obama administration era decision to create the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. That designation closes off nearly 5,000 square miles of water off the coast of New England to commercial fishermen.

He also advocated for immigration reform, citing the murder of two doctors in South Boston earlier this year, and called on congress to do more for senior citizens and veterans.

Tedeschi is a lifelong resident of the South Shore.

The Massachusetts 9th congressional district includes Cape Cod, the South Shore, and the South Coast.