Lahti was elected to the Hancock area School Board in 1994, where he served for seven years. Also in 1994, he was appointed to the Finlandia University board of trustees, where he served for 13 years. In 2000, Lahti was elected to the Houghton County Commission as a Democrat.
In 1994, Lahti was elected to the Hancock area School Board and served seven years. That same year, he was appointed to Finlandia University's board of trustees and served for thirteen years. In 2000, Lahti became a member of the Houghton County Commission as a Democrat.