The race to succeed Seth Moulton is crowded. Here’s who’s running.

Massachusetts has no shortage of ambitious leaders ready to make their mark in Congress. When Rep. Seth Moulton announced his plans to challenge Sen. Ed Markey last October, candidates flocked to the open race to replace him. 

So far, seven candidates have officially launched campaigns to represent Massachusetts’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses much of the North Shore. They come from a variety of backgrounds, with some advertising their experience in the halls of power and others proudly labeling themselves as political outsiders. They share some commonalities, such as a disdain for the Trump administration and a stated desire to make life more affordable for residents. 

Each candidate has been listed below in alphabetical order. 

Andres-Beck, a software engineer and Democratic activist from Middleton, was the first candidate to get into this race last summer. They intended to challenge Moulton at the time, before the congressman announced his plans to run for senate. A political newcomer, Andres-Beck is leaning into their outsider status as someone willing to fight corruption with a clear eye. Andres-Beck is transgender, and has said that Democrats who overly focus on “wedge issues” like transgender athletes in youth sports are out of touch with what voters truly care about, like affordability and AI regulation. Andres-Beck spoke to Boston.com last year about their upstart campaign. 

Beccia is a financial technology executive and a lawyer from Lynnfield who also works as an adjunct professor at Boston University. Beccia is pitching himself as a business leader who has a track record of creating jobs and protecting consumers. Beccia is also positioning himself as a non-political outsider willing to shake up the status quo of Washington. He wants to cut taxes for middle class residents and small businesses, “decouple insurance from employment,” and transform the North Shore into a hotspot for technology companies. Beccia was an early employee at Circle, a major payments technology company that is now involved in cryptocurrency. In an interview with The Boston Globe last year, Beccia praised the crypto industry but said that he is “not focused on the special interest groups” and wants to create a grassroots donor base. 

Belsito is a former state representative and the current town moderator in Topsfield. She is one of the founders of the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, and describes herself as “one of the nation’s leading voices” in the field. Belsito is touting her record as a state lawmaker who knows how to work with Congress to get tangible results. She supports “Medicare for all,” expanding union jobs, and making public higher education more affordable. Belsito has called on her fellow candidates to reject funding from super PACs. 

Jakious, a Swampscott resident, is Moulton’s former chief of staff. In that role, Moulton’s office grew a reputation for “award-winning constituent service,” Jakious says on his website. He has emphasized how he stayed in Massachusetts instead of moving to Washington, D.C. like others in his role. His campaign is emphasizing the theme of “public service” over politics. Jakious is working to carve out a lane for himself by attacking social media companies, blaming them for fostering a mental health crisis and for heightening polarization. He recently outlined a set of policy proposals that would tax the profits of these companies and strengthen civic engagement for young people. 

Koh, an Andover native, served as a senior aide in the White House during the Biden administration, and before that Koh was the longtime chief of staff for former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. He ran a high-profile campaign for Massachusetts’ Third Congressional District in 2018, losing to Rep. Lori Trahan by just 145 votes in a recount. Koh says he worked closely with members of President Joe Biden’s cabinet, helping them craft legislation aimed at creating clean energy jobs and lowering prescription drug costs. He embraces the role of a media-savvy Democratic communicator, and Koh’s website proudly features clips of him appearing on Fox News and right-wing podcasts. Koh created a media enterprise of his own last year, where he regularly interviewed politicians and commented on national issues. 

Lancaster, a Salem resident, is a veterinarian who has experience as in the State Department and as a congressional aide for Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum and California Rep. Julia Brownley. Lancaster, who identifies as non-binary, says they helped support progressive policy goals in Washington, D.C. before moving into nonprofit work when Republicans took control of Congress. They are a Massachusetts native who wants to “reclaim patriotism” by focusing on four key areas: enacting universal healthcare, fighting corruption, improving access to education, and implementing energy policies that bring down costs. Lancaster only launched their campaign earlier this month, telling Politico that they are “pissed” about the complacency they saw in Washington. Lancaster says that their late entrance into the race is because other candidates had “prior backing,” and that they are an “average working American” who “moved as quickly as a normal person” could. 

Nguyen is a current state representative, serving a district that includes parts of Andover, North Andover, Boxford, and Tewksbury. Before being elected to the Legislature, Nguyen worked as an attorney with Greater Boston Legal Services, leading a program there that helps victims of a range of crimes. Nguyen defeated conservative Republican Jim Lyons in 2018, an achievement she touts on her campaign website as “flipping a deep-red district and defeating a MAGA incumbent.” Nguyen wants an “all-hands-on-deck response” to the housing affordability crisis, says she will stand up to “corporate greed,” and fight the Trump administration’s “extremism.”