Congressional candidates talk healthcare, child care, Iran, senior citizens

by Monica Sager, Swampscott Tides

The Bedford and Billerica Democratic town committees hosted the seven candidates for Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District on Saturday, where contenders shared their ideas on health care, senior support, child care, bipartisanship and the attack on Iran.

The 6th District’s congressional seat is up for grabs after Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) announced he would challenge Sen. Edward Markey in the Democratic primary ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Who are the Candidates

Tram Nguyen is the current 18th Essex District state representative, serving Andover, Boxford, North Andover and Tewksbury.

She chairs the House Committee on Climate Action and Sustainability, making her the first Asian American woman to chair a committee in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

Born in Vietnam, Nguyen immigrated to the U.S. with her family at age 5 and grew up in the Merrimack Valley. She previously worked at Greater Boston Legal Services, representing survivors of domestic violence in family and immigration law.

Nguyen has recently been endorsed by Boxford Select Board members and State Rep. Ken Gordon.

“I came to office in 2018, beating an acting Republican, to win the seat by 10 points because we’re very committed to fighting against extremism and creating a welcoming and inclusive community for all,” Nguyen said. “I have a track record doing that. I have a track record passing legislation, bringing money back to the district and making sure we put people first.”

Rick Jakious, a Swampscott resident, served as a longtime aide to Moulton, holding roles as district director and, more recently, chief of staff. He previously served as CEO of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network, leading statewide efforts to strengthen nearly 35,000 nonprofit organizations. He also held local and national roles with City Year, a Boston-based education nonprofit. 

Service

“For me, this is about public service and not politics…I’ve woken up every single morning thinking about how we can improve the lives of the people of the 39 cities and towns in this district,” Jakious said.

“The problems we’re facing are twofold. First, Donald Trump and his assault on our democracy/ We have to face that head on. We cannot back down. We also have to address the concern that people don’t think the government is working for them.”

Bethany Andres-Beck is a senior staff software engineer and Democratic activist who lives in Middleton. They describe themselves as “agender, trans, queer and proudly Unitarian Universalist.” Andres-Beck graduated from Smith College with a degree in costume design. They announced a primary challenge against Moulton in June, prior to his Senate campaign launch.

“I am frustrated with national politics. I’m frustrated with a party that is unwilling to stand up for what we believe in,” Andres-Beck said. “I’ve spent my career organizing with my coworkers to make our lives that are in software, that we build, better for people’s day to day lives. I decided to step up. I support Medicare for all, abolishing ICE, affordable housing and regulating AI.”

Beccia

John Beccia, a Lynnfield lawyer, announced in early January that his campaign would report $1 million cash on hand following its first quarter of fundraising.

After graduating from Providence College and attending law school at night, Beccia built a career working with federal regulators to combat terrorist financing and consumer fraud.

He later became a leader in the emerging field of financial technology.

“I’m someone who lives in this community, cares to speak about this community,” Beccia said. “I think this all comes down to my agenda is simple: How do you make people’s lives better? I think the government right now is broken. What you’re seeing with the Trump administration is a disaster clearly. It’s a threat to democracy. And we’re not prioritizing the right areas. Meanwhile, we have self-serving politicians…My campaign, my priorities for all of you is prioritizing the economy, create jobs, lower costs, and education.”

Jamie Belsito is a former state representative for the 4th Essex District and currently serves as town moderator in Topsfield.

A Reading native who now lives in Topsfield, she is the founder of the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, where she worked on federal initiatives to support mothers and families.

Belsito was recently endorsed by former Gloucester Mayor Greg Verga. She unsuccessfully ran against Moulton in 2020.

Postpartum depression

“After the birth of my first child in 2010 I suffered from what’s called postpartum depression, and I couldn’t find the support I needed. That experience led me to be founder of the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance from my kitchen table and elevate maternal mental health, substance use disorder as a federal and state priority,” Belsito said. “I am on the front lines where decisions are being made in D.C. every day.”

Dan Koh is a former Andover Select Board member and Biden White House aide. He served as deputy cabinet secretary, overseeing communications, policy and logistics between the White House, Cabinet and federal agencies.

Koh previously served as chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Labor and chief operating officer of the software platform HqO. He announced in early January that he raised more than $2 million in less than one quarter, setting a fundraising record for any Massachusetts U.S. House candidate. His campaign reported more than 3,000 contributions.

Koh, who lives in Andover, has been endorsed by former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and former Rep. John Tierney, who represented the 6th District for over a decade.

Endorsements

He has also received an endorsement from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 35, which represents more than 4,000 workers across the region.

“We can sit back and roll over while this president starts another forever war, sends a mask down the streets to arrest our neighbors and kill American citizens, and drive us up for ridiculous tariffs, or we can fight back for the country we know and love,” Koh said.

“I have German, Irish, Italian, Lebanese, Korean, American kids, and I want them to grow up in a country I think all of you do – a country that’s proud of its diversity, that welcomes their neighbors and respects each other against what this president is trying to do in bias.”

Mariah Lancaster is the latest to join the candidate race. They are a veterinarian, who previously worked as a congressional aide.

Lancaster also served as a foreign affairs officer at the State Department, working against environmental crime and corruption. When Republicans took over Congress, Lancaster moved into non-profit government affairs work.

Lancaster recently called for the abolition of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), following the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis. The 36-year-old candidate identifies as non-binary.

“My time in Congress, my time in the State Department and my living experience of 1 hour shifts…I am prepared to fight for this community, my community,” Lancaster said. “I believe in order to represent more people, we have to send working people to Congress. I don’t think we can just send folks that only ever wear suits.”

Question 1: One Aspect of the Health Care System to Improve

Jakious started this question section with a story about his mother, who is a primary nurse.

“I remember growing up, many times late at night, she would be on the phone, on call, helping people with their issues,” Jakious said. “That’s the way health care used to be. You knew your doctor. Your doctor knew you. You were able to sit and have a conversation with them. That’s not the case any more.”

He called for a single-payer system that “allows people to buy in to squeeze out of the middle man.”

Andres-Beck called for “dramatically” expanding community health centers around the country so that more people have “access to quality, primary care.”

Beccia said that there are a lot of aspects around the health care system that need to be changed, but that there needs to be additional support for the aging population as well as mental health. 

Belsito shared her own experience with having to take on $20,000 for her child’s health. 

“It’s absolutely unconscionable,” Belsito said. “I want to say that’s something I am committed to and making sure that we have community based organizations to source for our health care.”

Koh discussed how people have been convinced that it “is not a human right and that somehow copays or extra bills are normal and okay.”

“That’s unacceptable in the most industrialized, wealthy country in the world,” Koh said. “No other advanced country has a system like we do.”

Lancaster, who was raised in a family of health care workers, shared that her job as a veterinarian is the “same industry” as a human health care system. She emphasized how there shouldn’t be someone profiting from health needs. 

Nguyen finished the question with a story about her mother’s health insurance.

“It went from $4 a month to $235 this past January,” Tran said. “I was on the phone for two hours trying to figure out why her medication went up to $500 and I could work out a payment plan for her. We need to do work to adjust…People are struggling and it’s not going to go away like this.”

Question 2: What Does Bipartisanship Mean to You?

Andres-Beck started off this question by sharing that “too often bipartisanship just means what do corporate lobbyists support?”

“I’m tired of pretending that is the same thing as what is good for the working person in America,” Andres-Beck said. 

The rest of the candidates spoke of how in today’s political sphere bipartisanship doesn’t seem possible.

“We’re in times where people just don’t get along and label people as Democratic or Republican,” Beccia said. “The system is broken.”

Belsito called bipartisanship “a nice theory.” 

Koh added that “these are not normal times.”

“I don’t think anyone here should be happy with a member of Congress who’s going to try to play well with people who are trying to destroy our democracy and endorsing people who are,” Koh said. “That’s not what this is about.”

Lancaster said that the Democratic party can’t have “any value in compromising an inch of the Democratic agenda or going a step closer to the center on any of the things we know we need to get done.”

Nguyen said bipartisanship is not about negotiations. 

“There’s no negotiating with MAGA,” Nguyen said. “I’m the only one at this table that’s taken on MAGA. I know there’s no negotiations with them. Bipartisanship is about coalition. It’s about bringing people along to get things done.”

Jakious said that he believes that the country can return to a time where people like former Sen. Ted Kennedy did everything with bipartisan support but that “it would be naive to think that we’re there now.”

“When we take back the House and hopefully the Senate in this election, we have to hold this administration accountable,” Jakious said.

Question 3: How Should the U.S. Address Undocumented Immigration and Border Security, Protecting Both Security and Commerce?

All of the candidates said there should be a pathway to citizenship and that residents should feel safe in their communities. Several argued that Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security should receive less funding.

Question 4: What’s the Greatest Challenge Senior Citizens and the Elderly are Facing in the District?

Belsito said that as town moderator, she hears from residents who are being forced to make a choice on whether they can stay in the community or if they have to sell their home.

“Seniors are taking the brunt of these continued impacts of these property taxes,” Belsito said. “That to me is a housing issue.”

Koh focused on President Donald Trump’s “attack” on Social Security and Medicare.

Lancaster looked at it as an ongoing generational problem, such as when “folks feel like they can’t retire because they’re still paying off their kids’ college loans.”

Nguyen said at the state-level, legislatures are trying to work on housing and health care solutions “but there’s only so much you can do in general,” which is part of the reason she is running for federal office “for us to get back on track.”

Jakious noted how within the first 30 days of his campaign, he traveled to the 39 cities and towns in the 6th District, where he heard about “how everyone was getting crushed from health care, child care, higher education” but that the “impacts are amplified on our seniors.”

“We have to do everything we can do to bring down cost of living for everyone, including our seniors,” Jakious said. “At the same time we also have to protect social security and Medicare.”

Andres-Beck said that the “uncertainty is terrifying,” particularly around artificial intelligence and its impact on the workforce which in turn affects Social Security.

Beccia said “we have to start with affordability, make sure that people have the ability to afford things” but that this “administration is not focused on helping people.”

Question 5: If You Were in Congress Now What Would Your Reaction Be to the President Regarding the Attack on Iran?

On February 28, a massive joint U.S.-Israeli military operation launched airstrikes across Iran, resulting in the reported killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The strike targeted military sites and senior officials, causing significant casualties and destruction. 

The seven 6th Congressional District candidates 

Koh said the attack is a distraction from the Epstein files and that “this president is literally hijacking our foreign policy to distract from his own personal scandal and it’s disgusting.”

Lancaster called the attack a “failure on Congress.”

Nguyen said the action was “unconstitutional.”

“They should be taking away funding for everything they want to do,” Nguyen said. “Why are we authorizing any of these things that Trump’s asking for right now?”

Jakious shared that he woke up – accidentally – at 4 a.m. and learned about the attack. 

“My immediate reaction was concern – concern for our military service members who are now tasked with executing an incredibly, difficult, complicated, dangerous mission concerning millions of innocent civilians in the region,” Jakious said. “But I think fundamentally, this is a problem for Congress. Congress needs to finally exercise its authority as a legal branch of government and require the president to come in and explain how this is in the best interest of the American people.”

Andres-Beck called for impeachment.

Beccia said it was an “egregious act.”

Belsito talked about how Congress needs to step up, but also that she’s “one of the only candidates up here that’s not taking defense contractor money to fund my campaign.”

Question 6: What Would You Do In Federal Government to Make Child Care More Affordable?

Middlesex County has some of the highest child care costs in the country, often consuming nearly a third of family income. 

“If we’re going to use our taxpayer dollars in any way, this is the way to invest in the next generation,” Lancaster said. “Making sure that we are investing in this generation, not just to benefit the children themselves but you basically need an economy where we can have two parents having their careers and doing their job. In terms of what that means on the federal level. That means creating a federal matching program, where we take some of these waste tax dollars…and bring those dollars back home to invest in our communities, invest in the next generation.”

Nguyen shared that her mother retired early to provide child care for her sister, saying that affordable child care helps all generations and different aspects of affordability.

Jakious said when his two children were in child care, it would cost him and his wife $30,000 a year. 

“And this was more than a decade ago. I’m sure it has really gotten much worse,” Jakious said. “It was incredibly difficult. When our kids left, we joked about the day care raise we got. It felt like we were rich all of a sudden. It’s not sustainable. It’s unacceptable. That’s the reason that I think the federal government can and should play a role in bringing down costs. Early education investment has the single highest return on investment of anything we can do.”

Andres-Beck noted that “when we ask how we can help people, we don’t ask how few people we can help or how cheaply we can do something. But we ask what it is going to take to do this well, to build a society where you want to raise children and want our children to raise children.”

Beccia said solving the “affordability crisis will take the pressure off.” He talked about wages at jobs and reforming taxes.

Belsito focused on her work with women’s mental health service, particularly after giving birth and the money choices people are forced to make.

Koh ended the question by noting there is legislation that was introduced by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) in 2024 to cap child care costs at approximately $10 a day. 

“It costs $8 billion,” Koh said. “Guess what else costs $8 billion. The funding for DHS. The tax cut that Elon Musk gets. It’s not a question of feasibility. It’s a question of will, and we have a president who doesn’t care about this issue.”

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