The race for the 6th Congressional District seat — currently held by Rep. Seth Moulton — is beginning to take shape ahead of the September primary.
Dan Koh has emerged as the leading fundraiser, bringing in nearly $3.5 million to support his campaign. John Beccia follows. He loaned his campaign $2 million and has accepted $400,000 in contributions.
Meanwhile, Swampscott’s Rick Jakious withdrew from the race on April 15, citing insufficient funds to compete effectively.
Moulton officially launched his campaign last October to challenge Sen. Ed Markey in the 2026 Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary. The 46-year-old has largely focused his message on generational change, arguing that the 79-year-old incumbent should not seek another term.
Beth Andres-Beck
Beth Andres-Beck said their decision to run was driven by frustration with the current political landscape and a desire to bring in perspectives outside of traditional political pathways.
“Politics as usual — and politicians who uphold the status quo — aren’t cutting it, and haven’t been for quite some time,” they said, noting they initially entered the race to challenge Seth Moulton.
Andres-Beck called the current moment “a crossroads in our party and our democracy,” adding that voters need leadership from outside Washington.
They continued that their background in technology sets them apart from other candidates.
“I’m not a career politician… I have a career; I’m a software engineer,” Andres-Beck said.
Andres-Beck, who has two decades of experience as a software engineer, pointed to the rapid rise of artificial intelligence as a critical issue, arguing that it is already reshaping the economy and workforce. They warned that emerging technologies are contributing to job instability and widening economic inequality, saying AI is “being used to reduce our earnings and increase our expenses, lining the pockets of the billionaire class.”
Andres-Beck noted that kids graduating from college are entering “one of the worst job markets in the history of the country, which will also kneecap our seniors’ social security and Medicare benefits,” continuing that they have the experience to handle AI in a way no other candidate can.
If elected, Andres-Beck said their top priority would be regulating AI, which they noted as an urgent and far-reaching issue.
Andres-Beck cited concerns about corporate practices, government use of the technology, and the influence of major tech companies on policy.
“Corporations are using it to price-gouge us in grocery stores while the U.S. and Israeli governments use it to kill children in Gaza and Iran. SuperPACs force politicians to be friendly to big tech interests, and even other candidates in this race already have a material interest in Palantir. We need to act now, before it becomes another interest that has too deep a hold on Congress,” they said.
In addition to AI regulation, Andres-Beck expressed support for policies such as passing Medicare For All, holding President Donald Trump accountable, and abolishing ICE.
They also highlighted their early entry into the race as a reflection of their commitment to change. “I was the first person in this race… I got in for a reason,” they said. “I want to see actual change in our party and our democracy,” they said.
John Beccia
John Beccia, a business executive and Lynnfield resident, is campaigning for the 6th Congressional District seat with a message focused on economic concerns, political accountability, and what he describes as a need for new leadership in Washington.
Beccia has raised approximately $400,000 and has contributed around $2 million of his own money into his campaign.
Beccia, a father, frames his campaign around family and future generations. He is running, he said, because “the future is important” for younger generations, and “we need to protect our democracy.” He has also emphasized that his candidacy is shaped by his role as a parent and his desire for his children “to have the same chance to take advantage of the best that this country has to offer.”
His campaign portrays him as a political outsider with private-sector experience.
“I’m not a politician,” Beccia said, adding that he entered the race out of frustration with national leadership and the direction of federal policy.
He describes himself as someone who has built businesses, created jobs, and worked in financial services regulation, with a focus on consumer protection and preventing fraud.
Beccia argues that his background gives him a practical perspective on the economy.
He has said that while he has experience “getting things done,” he also recognizes that “there’s so much inequality right now” and that many families are struggling with affordability. His campaign message highlights rising costs and economic pressure as central concerns for voters.
He has been critical of the current political system, saying “politics is broken in general” and that elected officials are “so disconnected from everyday people.” He has also said that part of his motivation for running is to “hold Trump… accountable” and respond to what he sees as threats to democratic institutions.
If elected, Beccia said he would focus on what he calls “kitchen table issues,” particularly “the economy, education, and health care.” His proposals include job creation, lowering costs, expanding access to education, and improving affordability in health care.
Beccia has also emphasized outreach across the district, saying he has spent time meeting with “schools, nonprofits, and businesses” to better understand local concerns.
“I’m a father of two high school children,” he said, adding that his campaign is about “helping families (and) making a difference.” He said voters should view his candidacy as an effort to “end the political games and put people over politics.”
Jamie Belsito
Jamie Belsito has described herself as “a Democrat who won’t apologize” and hopes to bring that energy to Congress if elected.
“I don’t apologize (for being from) the working class. I don’t apologize (for wanting) to work to lift up the American family, and that definitely is (the) central core to my message,” she said.
The current Topsfield town moderator was the first Democrat since 1858 to be elected as the representative for the former 4th Essex District from 2021 to 2023 before the district was eliminated due to redistricting.
She is also known as the founder of Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to leading national efforts to improve maternal mental health in the country by advocating for policies, building partnerships, and curating information.
Having grown up in a blue-collar family in Reading, Belsito paid her way through her higher education at Salem State University as a first-generation college student and emphasized that her main goal if elected is to “roll back what I call ‘Reagan Economics,’” which, she said, are “failing us.”
“They want to defund public education, the constant onus of putting those costs on the state and then subsequently on the property tax owner… The town budgets cannot continue to do the job that the federal government should be doing,” she said, adding that it “is part of our rights as Americans to (have) robust, accessible, equal access education.”
She said it’s baffling that the most affordable higher education option within the district is to go to Salem State and accrue approximately $25,000 in loans. Also on the topic of money, Belsito highlighted that she has taken the People’s Pledge, committing to rejecting money from PACs, billionaires, and corporate executives.
“I’m running because I have almost 30 years of experience to bring to this district, and I can take a good beating,” she said with a laugh. “I’m a tough North Shore girl who’s been through the wringer and came out the other side and said, ‘OK, I can do this again.’ I know how the system works.”
Acknowledging voters, Belsito said, “I am one of you. I see you. I am a public servant. I am doing this for us. This is not about me. This is ‘We the People,’ not ‘I the Person.’ And you will be a part of the decision-making, and you will have a seat at my table.”
Rachel Creemers
Rachel Creemers’s decision to run is based on her vision to focus legislation on labor rights, including creating a Workers’ Bill of Rights — a distinction she strongly believes separates her from the other candidates.
“(I want to) make sure that people know what their workers’ rights are currently and how they need to have an expansion of their workers’ rights,” she said. “By giving people more time and space and security and stability in their jobs, and having it be something that they can really lean and count on, that will have a beautiful knock-on effect of allowing people to have time and space to do other things like connect with their community, run for office, and try something new.”
Job security and stability are major concerns for recent college graduates across the country, including in Massachusetts. It’s something Creemers, who graduated from Hampshire College and has worked with unions including the American Postal Workers Union, as well as the National Labor Relations Board, is passionate about defending.
“I started going to college during the great recession, and getting out of it, the job market wasn’t back on its feet, and what I’m seeing now is so similar to what we faced back then, where it was just insane, waiting in lines to try and have anyone look at your resume. But right now, I kind of feel like younger generations had it way worse than I did,” she said.
If elected, workers’ rights would be Creemer’s first priority in office, as well as supporting issues including climate change legislation and supporting both public broadcasting and housing for all.
“Housing should be a human right. I want to make it easier for people to build houses in properly zoned areas, so in areas that are next to T stations or commuter rail stops, make it so that people don’t have to use the car to get into work, and make it more affordable for people to get a job and for people to get a house,” she said.
She added, “People who are just starting off their life journey right now are looking at half a million dollars on the bottom floor for getting a house… We can’t just keep saddling our youngest with large amounts of debt and then not helping them when they have trouble with it.”
Micah Jones
Micah Jones is centering his campaign on bipartisanship, accountability, and a background that spans both military leadership and federal regulatory work.
The lone Republican candidate, Jones, who lives in Essex, said his decision to run is rooted in concern over the country’s political climate and its impact on families like his own.
“I’m very concerned with how polarized the country is,” he said. “I really am focused on turning down the temperature as much as possible. I want the Massachusetts 6th Congressional District to be the best place to raise a family, start a business, and build a life.”
A U.S. Army veteran, Jones served more than five years in the military, including a deployment to Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division. He described working both as a platoon leader and later in intelligence and security roles alongside senior U.S. and Afghan officials.
“I got to be in the room at the table where decisions were being made,” he said, adding that the experience gave him insight into both frontline leadership and high-level negotiations.
After leaving the Army, Jones attended Northeastern University School of Law and later worked in securities enforcement litigation. He said that background has shaped how he views issues in the district, particularly when it comes to federal oversight.
“Many of the same regulatory friction points… are similar to what I was dealing with in regards to representing my clients with different regulators,” he said, pointing to conversations with the Gloucester fishing industry as an example.
Jones said what sets him apart is a focus on working across party lines in a district where a majority of voters are not registered with either major party.
He said he is passionate about bipartisanship.
“I’m very focused on working across the aisle as much as possible,” he said, including reaching out to independents and Democrats for conversations throughout the campaign.
Among his top priorities, Jones pointed to congressional accountability, particularly around stock trading by lawmakers.
“Congress needs to step up and do its job,” he said.
He added that his first priority would be strengthening rules to prevent insider trading, saying, “Congress should be held to the same standard that the private sector is held to when it comes to insider information.”
Jones also highlighted his personal and political background, including his shift from Democrat to Republican, influenced in part by his respect for Massachusetts Republican leaders like Governors Charlie Baker and Mitt Romney.
Dan Koh
Dan Koh is emphasizing his experience across multiple levels of government and his family’s immigrant story as he campaigns for the 6th Congressional District seat.
Koh describes himself as the son of immigrants from Korea and Lebanon who were “welcomed by the community he is running to represent,” a point he connects to his support for policies that embrace diversity and opportunity.
In a recent interview, Koh said his decision to run is centered on wanting to make the country a better place for younger generations.
“I have two American kids. I want them to grow up in a country that’s proud of its diversity and that welcomes immigrants,” he said.
He added that his experience in government shaped his outlook: “I’ve seen government work too well to accept this is the best we can do.”
During the Biden-Harris Administration, Koh held senior White House roles, working with Cabinet officials on major initiatives, including infrastructure investment, clean energy job creation, education funding, and efforts to lower prescription drug costs for seniors.
He also served as chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Labor, where he worked on securing wages for workers, improving workplace safety, and increasing union participation.
At the local level, Koh served as chief of staff to Marty Walsh, overseeing city operations during a period marked by job growth, expanded housing, and rising educational attainment. Earlier, as an Andover Select Board member, he worked on clean energy initiatives and municipal financial planning, including maintaining a AAA bond rating.
Koh argues that this breadth of experience distinguishes him from other candidates.
“I’m very, very fortunate to have had the experiences in all levels of government,” he said, adding that voters “deserve someone who doesn’t need on-the-job training” and who can “deliver on day one.”
Koh has also sharply criticized national leadership, saying, “We have a president who is destroying our democracy, and we need a fighter who is ready to deliver on day one.”
If elected, Koh said his first priority would be “defending our democracy,” including investigating “corruption in our government” and ensuring accountability. He also outlined an economic message focused on affordability, saying it is about lowering prices and communicating how policies benefit working families.
Koh has also stressed accessibility and responsiveness.
“I will be present, I will be listening, and I will be fighting for the members of the 6th district,” he said.
Mariah Lancaster
Dr. Lancaster did not respond to multiple requests for an interview.
Tram Nguyen
Tram Nguyen explains her candidacy as centered in lived experience, saying, “I’m very excited to be running for Congress because I believe in a government that works for people, everyday people, not just insiders and a powerful few.”
She emphasizes that she has “lived both sides of the government,” witnessing both failure and effective delivery.
Her story begins abroad under “an authoritarian regime” where “my dad was a political prisoner fighting for democracy and freedom.” After her family came to the United States seeking those freedoms, she saw how opportunity could change lives.
Despite financial hardship, she became “the first in my family to go to college and then law school,” choosing public service over private practice to support “survivors of domestic violence, low-wage workers, immigrants, veterans… marginalized communities that need an advocate.”
Drawing from that work, she argues that policy has real consequences, noting she has seen “what good governance looks like, and what a lack of policies or bad policies can do.”
As a state representative, she highlights a record of delivering results, including passing legislation and securing funding for her district. Nguyen centers her campaign on economic justice, aiming to ensure people “can afford to live with dignity” by lowering costs and investing in public goods.
These priorities stem from her upbringing in a working-class family where her parents were “barely making minimum wage” and struggled without access to health care. She says this motivates her to fight so “families like mine can thrive.”
She also calls for protecting vulnerable communities, including abolishing ICE and defending LGBTQ+ rights, while continuing work she says she has pursued “my entire career.”
Positioning herself as distinct from opponents, she argues she has a proven willingness to “take on the big guys and win,” shaped by a life of overcoming doubt and adversity.
Looking ahead, her priorities include raising the federal minimum wage, expanding housing support, and investing in climate action and infrastructure. She stresses that “none of this would matter if we don’t have our democracy,” highlighting the need to protect elections and limit money in politics.
Ultimately, Nguyen frames her campaign as focused on tangible impact, arguing that if people “cannot put food on the table, they’re not going to care about our democracy,” and insisting the government must deliver real improvements in people’s daily lives.
