John DeJoie, a Concord firefighter and Democratic state representative, has formed an official campaign committee to run for Congress.

Although DeJoie said he will not make a formal announcement of his candidacy for the 2nd District seat until at least September, the committee will allow him to fundraise as a candidate. DeJoie did tell supporters in an e-mail newsletter: "I am currently running to be the next congressman."

DeJoie portrays himself as a "voice for the working people," a message he is taking to the campaign. "We've had a number of firefighters elected to the Legislature and other working folks who understand where I'm coming from," DeJoie said. "Now is a good time for me to move on and bring some of those fights to Washington."

He hopes to win the seat left vacant by Democratic U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes, who is running for U.S. Senate.

Some of the issues in which DeJoie says he hopes to make a difference are in keeping health care affordable for workers, closing tax loopholes that allow corporations to put their money in offshore tax havens and examining the tax structure for CEO bonuses.

Working-class champion

DeJoie, 50, was born in the Boston area and grew up in Marshfield, Mass. DeJoie started his career as a social worker, earning a master's degree in social work from Simmons College in Boston and working at a mental health center in Lowell, Mass., for 10 years.

DeJoie moved to New Hampshire in 1984, and he's lived in several cities since then, including Nashua, Milford, Derry and now Concord.

DeJoie became a Concord firefighter in 1995 and worked a second job to make up for the pay cut he took by moving away from social work. He was laid off from that job in 2001, about the time the House was redistricting.

"I looked at who the representatives were, and it became pretty clear there were not a lot of working people in the Legislature," DeJoie said.

He ran for state representative and won, then worked his way up into leadership roles as finance vice chairman and director of communications.

DeJoie has earned a reputation as a friend to unions and workers. He fought to help University of New Hampshire police officers improve their retirement benefits.

He worked on construction worksite safety issues and advocated for a study committee to determine why so many construction workers didn't have health insurance. He opposes the part of this year's budget that forces the state's younger retirees to pay more for health care.

Before he was elected to the State House, DeJoie served as vice president of the Concord firefighters union.

"He's been very good for us in the House, a champion of working class-type issues," said Derek Martel, president of the firefighters union. "John and I have been on opposite sides of the aisle on political views . . . but anything that affects me at work, he's been on board supporting 100 percent."

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