Bethany Andres-Beck
Home: Middleton
Party: Democrat/democratic socialist
Background: Software engineer
Fundraising: $322,360 as of June 30, according to the Federal Election Commission.
A political newcomer, Andres-Beck is leaning on his experience as a software engineer and activist in the Middleton Democrat’s first run for elected office.
Andres-Beck has pledged to push for regulations for artificial intelligence, restoring environmental regulation for data centers, applying consumer-protection laws to software companies, and privacy rights.
Andres-Beck’s campaign website calls for abolishing ICE, prosecuting agents who have committed crimes, and banning insider trading by elected officials. They also want to expand the size of the House of Representatives.
“We are in a fight for America: it is time to act like it,” Andres-Beck said. “The biggest threat to our country is this president.”
But the Democratic socialist has also criticized the national party for not doing enough to stand up to Trump and failing to push through universal healthcare and other key aggressive agenda items.
Andres-Beck, who identifies as non-binary, has also spoken about the need for protections for transgender individuals their campaign says are under attack by the Trump administration.
Like others in the race, Andres-Beck has struggled to raise money for the campaign, but said that they aren’t accepting PAC money.
“I won’t accept corporate donations or support from super PACs like AIPAC,” Andres-Beck says on the website. “If you’re ready for practical progress, a representative who knows how to listen, I’m ready to take our voices to D.C.”
Campaign website: https://bethfordemocracy.com
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John Beccia
Home: Lynnfield
Party: Democrat
Background: Attorney, financial services executive
Fundraising: $3.4 million as of June 30, according to the Federal Election Commission.
Lynnfield Democrat John Beccia is running as a “non-politician” who is pledging “to fight to build an economy that creates opportunities for working families and lowers costs.”
The lawyer and businessman said he is running to address “the dual threats facing the North Shore: the crisis of affordability and the threats coming from Donald Trump and his supporters in Congress.”
“I’m not a politician, I’m someone who cares deeply about my community and worries about my children’s future,” he said in a campaign statement. “Our economy and our elected officials are out of touch with the daily struggles of Massachusetts families — it’s time for a new voice and a fresh perspective.”
His campaign platform includes a “Four Freedoms for the Next Generation” plan — build a good life, get ahead, feel secure, and be heard — that focuses on affordability and economic opportunity and calls for tax reform. He’s also called for a North Shore “New Deal” to boost economic development in the region and create more jobs.
Beccia has also focused on the issue of food insecurity in the region, which has increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. He has held “listening sessions” in dozens of towns and hosted “round tables” with community leaders in Lynn and other cities to discuss how to get more food into local pantries.
Campaign website: https://www.becciaforcongress.com/
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Jamie Belsito
Home: Topsfield
Party: Democrat
Background: Town moderator, former state Representative; founder Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance
Fundraising: $252,778 as of June 30, according to the Federal Election Commission.
Former state Rep. Jamie Belsito, of Topsfield, is also seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination for the 6th District race.
“My campaign has always been about the people of this district, not special interests or the Democratic establishment,” she said at a recent candidate forum. “I firmly believe that Democrats need to deliver what the people have been asking for — Medicare for All, an end to endless wars, and money out of politics.”
On the campaign trail she has touted her endorsement from State Auditor Diana DiZoglio, a Methuen Democrat, in her fundraising pitches to supporters, and focused on accountability and transparency in government.
Belsito was also the only candidate in the race who signed the to take “The People’s Pledge” and commit to rejecting money from political action committees and corporations. He has criticized other candidates in the race for not signing the, arguing that the race is awash with special interest money.
“If you want to know why the system is broken, why our government doesn’t work for the people anymore, all you have to do is follow the money,” she said recently.
Campaign website: https://www.jamiebelsito.com/
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Dan Koh
Home: Andover
Party: Democrat
Background: Senior White House aide; chief of staff at the Department of Labor; chief of staff Boston Mayor Marty Walsh; Andover Town Select Board member.
Fundraising: $4.5 million as of June 30, according to the Federal Election Commission.
Dan Koh narrowly lost a congressional primary race to fellow Democrat Lori Trahan in the 2018 election, but is making another run for Congress with millions of dollars in campaign funds at his disposal and key endorsements from top Democratic Party officials, including former President Joe Biden.
Koh, a former Biden administration official, argues that his White House experience gives him an advantage over other candidates in the race.
“Our country is in crisis. We need someone who is ready on Day 1 to fight for working families, protect our free speech rights and immigrant neighbors, and make health care and child care more affordable,” Koh said in his campaign launch.
He is running for the party’s endorsement with several high profile endorsements, including Biden, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is being talked about as a 2028 presidential candidate.
Campaign website: https://www.kohforcongress.com/
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Mariah Lancaster
Home: Salem
Party: Democrat
Background: Veterinarian; former U.S. Department of State official
Fundraising: $309,951 as of June 30, according to the Federal Election Commission.
A political newcomer, Mariah Lancaster has stressed their previous work for the U.S. State Department “combatting environmental crime and corruption around the globe” and later as a congressional staffer for Democratic lawmakers “gaining expertise in federal policy and advancing progressive priorities.”
They have pledged, if elected, to focus on pocketbook issues, improving access to health care, affordable housing and education, and support policies aimed at improving economic conditions for low- and middle-class families.
“We’re all getting screwed as billionaire oligarchs divide and distract us from the fact that they’re profiting off the pain of working Americans,” Lancaster, who identifies as non-binary, said in a campaign video. “Meanwhile, Massachusetts families are going hungry and getting sick because they can’t afford groceries or a visit to the doctor.”
Campaign website: https://www.mariahlancaster.com/
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Tram Nguyen
Home: Andover
Party: Democrat
Background: Legal aid attorney; state Representative for the 18th Essex District
Democratic state Rep. Tram Nguyen has highlighted her family’s journey to the United States from Vietnam in a bid to become the state’s first Asian-American member of Congress.
“My family and I fled Vietnam and worked hard to achieve the American dream,” Nguyen said in a campaign ad that highlighted her upbringing in public housing. “But when that dream came under threat I ran as a proud progressive and defeated MAGA. Now I’m running for Congress.”
Nguyen, of Andover, is pledging to “restore faith in our democracy and to take on the challenges that keep families awake at night: the rising cost of living, the urgent need for affordable housing, and the relentless attacks on our constitution and civil rights by the MAGA movement.”
“Our communities deserve a proven fighter who knows how to stand up to extremism and deliver real results, and I’m ready to take on the fight at the national level to save our democracy,” she said.
The four-term lawmaker was first elected in 2018 after defeating then-incumbent Rep. Jim Lyons, R-Andover, flipping a Republican held legislative seat.
She has also stressed her “deep ties to the labor movement” and work as a civil rights attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services. Her campaign has been endorsed by several major labor unions, including the Boston Carmens.
Campaign website: tramforcongress.com