Primary Victory

Dan Koh, a former White House official under President Joe Biden, won the Democratic primary for Massachusetts' 6th Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating four other candidates. According to unofficial tallies, Koh took 42.3% of the vote with 63% of precincts reporting just before 10:30 m. He will face Republican candidate Micah Jones, a military veteran running unopposed in his primary, in the November general election.

Koh, an Andover resident, had the backing of both former President Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris. He previously served as chief of staff to then-Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and later as deputy assistant to the president and deputy director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

The Race and the Field

The open seat became available after Rep. Seth Moulton, who has represented the district since 2015, announced last year he would not seek reelection and instead challenge Sen. Ed Markey in the Democratic Senate primary. Moulton, a Marine Corps veteran, lost that race to Markey on Tuesday.

At Salem's Hawthorne Hotel, Koh supporters cheered as results updated on a projector screen showing their candidate in the lead. Lynn City Councilor Brian Field, who said he was the first elected official in Lynn to endorse Koh, recalled meeting Koh in November at Rolly's Tavern and being impressed by his sincerity. Field said Koh promised to always pick up his phone, and demonstrated this by FaceTiming Koh, who answered immediately.

"Dan promised he'd be there for us, and we were there for him," Field said. "He's so genuine and sincere. He's going to work hard to represent the entire 6th District."

State Rep. Tram Nguyen was the runner-up, according to unofficial tallies. Other candidates included Lynnfield businessman John Beccia, former state Rep. Jamie Belsito of Topsfield, and Middleton software engineer Beth Andres-Beck. A sixth candidate, Salem veterinarian Mariah Lancaster, dropped out last week and endorsed Nguyen.

Background and Campaign Platform

This is not Koh's first bid for Congress. In 2018, he narrowly lost the Democratic nomination in Massachusetts' 3rd Congressional District to Rep. Lori Trahan.

Koh is running on progressive campaign promises, including abolishing "Trump's ICE" — a reference to Immigration and Customs Enforcement — and universal healthcare. He is the son of Howard Koh, a former assistant secretary in the Department of Health and Human Services under President Barack Obama, and his uncle also served in the Obama and Clinton administrations.

The 6th Congressional District covers the northeastern portion of Massachusetts and is rated a safe blue seat, positioning Koh as the heavy favorite in the general election.