Last Thursday supplied a typical afternoon for John FitzGerald as he hit the streets as a candidate for the open District 3 City Council seat: A back-to-school BBQ and backpack supply event in Lower Mills, followed by an ice cream social in Peabody Square, and then a round of door-knocking in Savin Hill. All that came after he had punched out for the day at the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA).

“I’ve worked at City Hall for over 17 years, and that really is irreplaceable in my mind because this city is still small enough that it’s built upon relationships.” said FitzGerald, who started inside City Hall under Mayor Thomas Menino. “There’s a camaraderie that exists that is so important when getting stuff done. I think having that experience, that 17 years of building those relationships, is really huge.”

He said he had not always imagined himself as a politician, even though his father Kevin, a key model, served as a state representative for Mission Hill and Jamaica Plain for nearly three decades. FitzGerald also counts Marty Walsh, the former mayor and US labor secretary, as another politician whose counsel has been important to him. Walsh, a Lower Mills resident, is supporting him in the seven-way race to succeed Frank Baker, who opted against running for another two-year term.

In April, a few days after Baker announced his decision, friends of FitzGerald approached him at the Dorchester Little League parade and asked him to consider running for the open seat. After a few calls and a sitdown with his family, the 41-year-old joined the race. 

“I think at the end of the day, it’s just about going and thinking about all the trials and tribulations you’ve gone through in your own life and learning from that,” FitzGerald said. “Whether it’s being a father, whether it’s just working at City Hall and being up in front in those public meetings when the lights are the brightest and the stage is big and everybody is asking you questions and looking for you to lead, I’ve done that my whole life, so this isn’t going to be different for me.

“It’s a bigger stage and I’m excited about that. The demand will be bigger, the lights will be brighter, and there are going to be more eyes. Let’s go, bring it on.” 

After Thursday’s BBQ and ice cream social, he made his way to Savin Hill, going up and down the front stairs of dozens of homes to greet residents.

Education was one of the topics that came up at the doors. It’s a priority for FitzGerald, a Boston Public Schools graduate who is married to Meghan, a public school teacher who works in neighboring Quincy. They have two children in Boston public schools.

“I know that [the schools] are the number one reason families are deciding to move [out of Boston],” he said. “There might be other factors that play into it, but the number one reason is the schools. If you build around families, the amenities that come from that benefit everyone, so it’s vital to keep them here.”

FitzGerald added that he doesn’t want to live anywhere else but Boston. He and Meghan are raising three children in Adams Village: Callan, Mac, and Reese.

“I tell people we decided to buy a house here and raise our family here in Dorchester thinking that things are going to be okay,” he said. “Now we’re worrying that maybe it’s tougher than we thought, and I think a lot of families are feeling that. I’ve got to go get a seat at the table to make sure I can stick around.”