His district included the neighborhoods of West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, and parts of Roslindale and Mission Hill.
Tobin was an unsuccessful candidate for the District 6 seat on the Boston City Council in 1995 and 1999, losing both times to incumbent Maura Hennigan.
In August 2010, Tobin resigned his council seat to take a position as vice president for City and Community Affairs at Northeastern University.
[2] During his tenure, Tobin chaired the council's committee on Arts, Film, Humanities & Tourism, a post he held since 2002.
Tobin resides in West Roxbury with his wife, Kate (née Plunkett), and their sons, Matthew and Daniel.