U.S. Representative Seth Moulton won the 6th Congressional district Democratic primary in a landslide Tuesday night and will vie for a fourth term in Congress in November.
Moulton was declared the winner shortly after 10 p.m., with results showing he had nearly 80 percent of the vote.
With more than 48,000 votes counted, Moulton was far ahead of his nearest opponent, Jamie M. Belsito, 78.2 percent to 12.4.
The third candidate, Angus G. McQuilken was trailing far behind with just 9.4 percent of the vote.
“Six years ago, on election night, I made a promise,” said Moulton, who thanked his opponents for running. “I said I would go to Washington to fight not for Democrats or Republicans, but for our country and for what’s right. In the years since, I have done everything I can to keep that promise.
“Sometimes it has meant taking on tough fights, breaking with my party, or questioning our leadership. Those debates have made us stronger as a party and a country, and I’m honored that the people I represent recognized that today.”
Moulton is seeking his fourth term in Congress. The U.S. Marine Corps veteran won his third term in a landslide in November 2018, but is coming off a short-lived presidential bid and some public criticism for challenging Nancy Pelosi’s return as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Early on, it had been shaping up to be a long night for the Salem congressman and his two Topsfield challengers due to the vast amount of mail-in ballots that had to be counted, but the race was called just over two hours after polls closed in Massachusetts.
Nearly 900,000 voters in Massachusetts either voted by mail or voted early, said Secretary of State William Galvin.
Belsito, the night’s runner-up, said her team was taking its defeat in stride.
“We remain thoroughly proud of the race that we ran and our team feels incredibly happy with what we accomplished,” she said. “This race wasn’t about me but the people of this district and their needs which were not being discussed: healthcare, childcare, education funding. It has been my honor to run for this seat.”
Belsito has described herself as a progressive rights leader and champion for women’s rights. She became a women’s health and maternal mental health advocate after suffering from postpartum depression following the birth of her daughters, and helped organize the first advocacy day for women’s health on Capitol Hill in 2016.
Going into Tuesday’s primary, it appeared Moulton’s biggest challenge would come from McQuilken, who was endorsed by several media publications, but early results showed he was far behind, with the gap getting wider as the night went on.
“This was a challenging time to run a campaign for public office, but I am proud of the campaign we ran and the issues we raised,” said McQuilken. “I congratulate Seth Moulton and will continue to work to make sure we elect Democrats up and down the ballot in November, starting with electing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris so that we can restore competence and integrity to the White House.
“I also look forward to supporting the many terrific women that are running for the state legislature in our region.”
McQuilken worked for more than a decade as a staff member for Cheryl Jacques, the first openly lesbian state senator in Massachusetts. On his website, the father of four boasts about his nearly 30 years of experience in leadership positions, including stints as vice president of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts and vice president of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.
Moulton will face John Paul Moran, who was running unopposed on the Republican side, in the November general election.
“We’re going to celebrate tonight, but tomorrow we’re going to get back to work,” said Moulton. “In a few weeks, we have a choice: We can rally together and put an end to the era of Donald Trump’s fascist, racist, sexist agenda.”
Moulton added he took “some heat in this race for working to win in places beyond this district,” but quoted his friend and mentor, Biden, who often says, “right now, we’re in a battle for the soul of our country.
“And when the future of your country is on the line, you go out and you fight for it,” said Moulton. “In the days ahead, that means taking the fight to Trump acolyte John Paul Moran in Massachusetts. And across the country, it means working as hard as we can to elect a new generation of Democrats who know what it means to serve America.”
