SALEM — After cruising to an easy re-election win Tuesday night, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton chose to focus his remarks during a late Wednesday morning press conference on the importance of counting every vote in a tight presidential race.
Moulton, a Democrat from Salem, will represent the 6th Congressional District for another two years after defeating John Paul Moran by a 30-point margin.
Speaking outside the Old Town Hall, Moulton criticized President Donald Trump for the “shameful display of anti-Democratic behavior” he displayed when he appeared in the White House shortly after 2 a.m. Wednesday to declare himself as the winner of the election and insist that votes should stop being counted.
At that point, millions of votes had not yet been counted and the race between Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden was too close to call.
“The message that I want to share with my constituents and anyone who votes is that the foundation of every democracy is that we count every vote,” said Moulton. “What Trump said in his speech last night is what you expect to hear (from him). America is supposed to be the leader of the free world.
“We should be setting the example for other democracies, for other people all across the globe, not having a president in the Oval Office who is trying to disenfranchise Americans, especially service members overseas whose votes have not been counted yet. We should be setting that example for the world.”
Moulton said Biden was the kind of leader a polarized United States needs right now, saying that the country’s divisions became even more apparent during Tuesday night’s election.
“America is bitterly divided and (does not) need to be divided further by our next president,” said Moulton. “We need someone who can bring us together. We need someone who will move us forward. We need someone who will be a president for everyone who voted for him, everyone who didn’t vote for him, or those Americans who were not able to vote at all. I know that is Joe Biden.”
In the 6th Congressional District, which encompasses parts of Essex and Middlesex counties, Moulton said his focus will be on continuing the work that his team has done since he was first elected to Congress in 2014, but in a way that partners with what he predicted would be a Biden presidential administration to advance those priorities more quickly.
Moulton plans to focus on improving transportation and housing in the district, helping veterans transition back into the workforce and secure housing upon returning home, and combating climate change, which is especially evident in coastal communities.
“So, there is a tremendous amount of work we need to do here in the district that’s reflective of the national work we must do with our next president,” said Moulton.
Moulton also said he was in favor of abolishing the electoral college, which he described as an “archaic” system that places a higher value on someone’s vote depending upon where they live.
“The principle of a democracy is that every vote counts,” said Moulton. “Sadly, no one really cares about your vote yesterday because it doesn’t really matter as much as the vote in Pennsylvania or Wisconsin. And that’s not right. Your vote should count just as much as the American’s vote in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin or Michigan.”
As for his own race, which was not called until nearly 1 a.m. Wednesday, Moulton said he has not heard from Moran, and did not stay up to wait for the results.
“I went to sleep because I knew it was going to be a big day,” said Moulton.
