BOSTON — The wide-open race to fill the North Shore’s soon-to-be-vacated congressional seat has drawn its first Republican challenger.
Micah Jones, an attorney and U.S. Army veteran from Essex, announced his run for the Sixth Congressional District in November’s midterm election. His campaign statement focused on partisan divisions in Washington, arguing that Congress needs a change of leadership to tackle the nation’s problems.
“Our problems aren’t caused by Democrats or Republicans. They’re the result of career politicians in Washington, who have forgotten working people in those striving towards the American dream,” Jones said in his campaign launch video.
“Congress is broken – career politicians, special interests, and ideologue activists are prioritizing their own personal gain more than in serving the people they represent. This needs to change.”
The California native touted his extensive military experience, which included a tour in Afghanistan where he served as an intelligence officer and military aide. He later went to Northeastern University on the G.I. bill where he got a law degree and settled in Essex with his wife and two children, according to his campaign statement. He has worked as a litigation associate at the Boston-based Morgan-Lewis law firm.
He pledged to push for term limits in Washington, expanded federal child care tax credits, a ban on stock trading for congressional lawmakers, among other proposals.
“My campaign is founded on three principles: accountability, opportunity, and security,” he said in the video. “Members of Congress must be held accountable for their actions.”
Jones joins a crowded field of Democratic candidates already in the race to replace Rep. Seth Moulton, a Salem Democrat, whose decision to challenge incumbent Sen. Ed Markey in next year’s Democratic primary has opened up a rare, down-ballot race to fill his congressional seat.
Former Biden administration official Dan Koh of Andover, former state Rep. Jamie Belsito of Topsfield, and Democratic state Rep. Tram Nguyen of Andover, formally declared their candidacies. Rick Jakious, Moulton’s former chief of staff, has jumped into the wide-open race for his ex-boss’ seat in Congress.
Others seeking the party’s nomination to run for the congressional seat are Mariah Lancaster, a Salem veterinarian and former congressional aide, and Lynnfield businessman and lawyer John Beccia.
The 6th Congressional District — which includes most of Essex County and eight towns in Middlesex County — has about 640,000 voters, according to Secretary of State William Galvin’s office, nearly 60% of whom are registered as independent. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in the district by a wide margin.
Democrats have held the congressional seat since 1996, when Democrat John Tierney narrowly beat incumbent Republican Peter Torkildsen.
Moulton, who was reelected in 2024 to a fifth term, has held the congressional seat since 2014 after he ousted Tierney in a surprise victory in the Democrat primary, becoming the first challenger to defeat a sitting congressman from the same party in 22 years.
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.