Rep. Jessica Giannino kicked off her campaign for re-election at a packed reception Monday night at DeMaino’s in Revere.
Several of her colleagues in the House of Representatives joined with Revere’s elected officials and scores of local residents in a strong show of support for the popular legislator who first burst on the scene as a sophomore at Salem State winning election to the City Council.
Former Speaker of the House Robert A. DeLeo also attended the reception.
Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante of Gloucester and Mayor Patrick Keefe praised Giannino in their respective introductory remarks.
“The one thing I admire about Jess is that every minute of every day she is advocating for the City of Revere,” said Ferrante. “Jess never forgets where she comes from – everyday it’s, ‘What are we doing for the City of Revere?’ She never stops advocating. When you sent her to the State House, it’s about all of you every minute of every day, and that’s a true representative. And that’s one of the reasons she deserves to be re-elected.”
Mayor Keefe lauded the Giannino family’s long-time record of public service dating back more than a century.
“She came from a family that had community service in their blood,” said Keefe. “It went from Joann Giannino [Jessica’s grandmother] and her husband who did so much for the community many years ago, to their son, [Chris], who passes it on being an unbelievable sergeant on the Revere police force and now a city councillor, and passing it on to their granddaughter, Jessica, who has done nothing but hold Revere to the highest standard, what her family taught her.”
“We knew she was going to represent Revere with pride [in the House of Representatives],” said Keefe. “Every single day she battles for Revere, but she does it with class, she does it with elegance, she does it with unbelievable grit.”
Giannino was humbled by the tremendous turnout of supporters.
“It’s truly an honor. I truly love you all, thank you,” began Giannino. “I have the best job in the world. I get to wake up every single day and represent my home. And I get to go to the State House and fight for legislation that represents my community. I get to fight for funding that comes back home to the City of Revere. I get to fight for policy that impacts not only my family, but for future generations and to make sure that we continue to call Revere home, that we continue to make sure that this city not only continues to thrive as it is under the leadership of Mayor Keefe, but it continues to grow and thrive as it has been doing, because this is such a wonderful community. And that’s why I want to be here. And that’s why I dedicated my life to doing this.”
Giannino paid a special tribute to “my grandmother [Joann Giannino], the matriarch of our family, who keeps us all together and makes sure I never forget anything.”
Giannino concluded her remarks by thanking Lenny DeMaino for his outstanding hospitality, credited his family’s 90 years of ownership of the restaurant.
Following the speaking program, City Council President Anthony Cogliandro, who handled the introductions of the elected officials in attendance, spoke of Giannino’s outstanding record of accomplishment in office and her dedication to her position of state representative.
“Jessica’s work ethic is absolutely incredible – it seems like she’s everywhere. She’s a huge part of the community and never misses an event or an opportunity to help someone,” said Cogliandro. “I also want to talk about her dedication. I don’t know many people who at the age of 18 decided that public service was the career that they wanted, and I think it’s so impressive that at such a young age that she wanted to serve not only as a city councillor but further her career and become a state representative. I just want to say how much it means to me that I’m able to call Jessica Giannino my friend, and I know she’s always there for me if I ever need anything.”
