BOSTON — Democrats running in the wide-open 6th Congressional District race are touting support from organized labor in a race for the money, grassroots organization and votes that follow those union endorsements.
On Monday, state Rep. Tram Nguyen, D-Andover, announced she has picked up a coveted endorsement from the Service Employees International Union State Council — the umbrella organization for several unions, including SEIU Local 509 and 1199 SEIU — which represent hundreds of thousands of healthcare workers regionally.
“Tram’s record and background highlight her commitment to the issues healthcare workers face at work and in their communities,” Cari Medina, executive vice president of 1199SEIU, said in a statement. “She is the fighter we need to take on the challenges impacting Massachusetts and our nation.”
Nguyen, one of six Democrats running for the party’s nomination to run for the North Shore’s congressional seat, called the endorsement a “game-changing” moment in her “people-powered” campaign.
“Supporting workers has been at the center of my life and work since my parents brought us from Vietnam with $100 to our name to work multiple jobs and scrape by in Lawrence public housing,” she said in a statement. “I have always stood by the working people, always fought for them in the Statehouse and will always fight for them in Congress.”
The endorsement comes just days after Nguyen’s campaign released the results of an internal poll showing her leading the pack of Democrats vying for the seat, which is occupied by Rep. Seth Moulton, who is running for U.S. Senate.
Not to be outdone, Democratic rival Dan Koh touted an endorsement Monday by the Massachusetts chapter of AFL-CIO, another union umbrella organization.
Chrissy Lynch, the AFL-CIO of Massachusetts’ president, said Koh “knows how to prioritize working people in government” and stressed his experience as a chief of staff for then-Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and the Biden administration.
“We need someone in Congress who will hit the ground running in the fight against Trump’s far-right grift, and we are confident Dan Koh is the candidate who will bring the focus back to improving the lives of working people,” Lynch said in a statement.
For congressional candidates, endorsements from organized labor mean more than a bump in campaign cash. Labor unions, with money and get-out-the-vote operations, remain a vital constituency for anyone seeking the Democratic nomination to run for Congress in the Nov. 3 general election.
Union leaders often make hundreds of volunteers available to hold rallies for candidates and knock on doors and do phone banking for the campaigns ahead of the election, using so-called ‘in-kind’ contributions. It’s the kind of manpower that even well-funded congressional campaigns can’t afford on their own.
Massachusetts had more than 493,000 union members in 2025, or about 15% of the state’s workforce, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
While endorsements are not indicative of where the electorate is leaning, they also help create a buzz around the candidates. That’s particularly important in crowded primary races, such as the 6th Congressional District, which could be decided by a handful of votes.
Koh, who narrowly lost a bid for the 3rd Congressional District in the 2018 Democratic Party, has been pumping out regular press releases about his endorsements since he entered the race last year. That includes an endorsement from former Vice President Kamala Harris, which has featured prominently in his fundraising pitches.
Nguyen has touted endorsements from Democratic legislative leaders, including House Speaker Ron Mariano, but also the Boston Carmen’s Union and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2325, among other labor unions.
The winner of the Sept. 1 Democrat primary will face Republican Micah Jones, an Essex lawyer and U.S. Army veteran, in the general election. Jones is running unopposed.
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.