Seth Moulton

MassLive asked the candidates seeking elected office in 2026 — incumbent and challenger alike — to fill out a brief questionnaire explaining their backgrounds, qualifications and interests and priorities in running for office.

We’re doing it to give you the information you need to make up your mind at the polls during this very consequential election year.

Here’s Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Seth Moulton. Moulton, who represents the Salem-based 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House, is challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., in the Sept. 1 primary. The winner faces Republican John Deaton in the November general election.

Name: Seth Moulton

Age: 49

Residence: Salem, MA

Education: Harvard University

Occupation: U.S. Congressman representing MA-06

Political Experience: U.S. Congressman representing MA-06. Founder of Serve America, which has helped flip 24 seats from red to blue – including nearly half of the seats flipped in 2018, when Democrats last took back the House.

Why are you running? What motivates you? What brought you into politics?

I’m a proud dad, congressman representing the North Shore and Merrimack Valley and a Marine veteran who lived the consequences of failed leadership in Washington. I never planned on a career in politics. When I got out of the Marines, serving in the war my opponent voted to send me to, my first job was working on a high-speed rail project to bring carbon-free transportation to America.

I came into politics because of a conversation with a Marine in my platoon after a brutal day in Iraq. He looked at me and said, “Sir, you ought to run for Congress someday so this stuff doesn’t happen again.”

That conversation stays with me every day, and today, my two young daughters motivate everything I do. When I look at them, I know we cannot hand their generation a country where their fundamental rights are stripped away and their future is compromised by inaction.

Right now, everyday people doing the hard work feel like they don’t have a voice. Families across Massachusetts are struggling to pay bills while an entrenched political establishment fails to effectively fight back and win. They need a fighter with the backbone to change the playbook, bring in a new generation of leadership and defeat Donald Trump. That is why I’m running for the U.S. Senate.

What are the three most pressing issues for the office that you are pursuing) and how would you address them? (Please keep your answer to 250 words)

Affordability: Massachusetts families are hurting from skyrocketing costs while corporations and the Epstein class break profit records. We must treat housing, education and healthcare as fundamental human rights. That’s why I introduced my comprehensive, progressive Affordability Agenda with policies like banning private equity from buying up homes, offering free universal pre-k, and universal healthcare – paid for with a national wealth tax and by closing Trump’s tax loopholes for corporations and the wealthy.

Trump Accountability and Stopping Corruption: The old playbook brought us two terms of Trump and a MAGA Congress. We need new leaders willing to fight to protect our progressive values. I will continue to aggressively fight this lawless and racist administration while working to protect our rights, ban congressional stock trading and stop reckless, unauthorized foreign military actions – including ending the war with Iran.

Overhauling Immigration and Abolishing ICE: We must abolish ICE, prosecute officers who broke the law, and completely overhaul our broken immigration system. We must build a humane, orderly, and fair system that reflects our compassion and American values, rather than funding a weaponized, unaccountable agency that kills people in our streets.

How do you differ from other candidates? What sets you apart?

I’ve always been willing to stand up to the status quo - even leaders in my own party - to fight for progressive values. My primary opponent has been in Congress for 50 years and represents the failed playbook that brought us two terms of Donald Trump. Being against MAGA isn’t enough; Democrats must lead and win. Massachusetts deserves next-generation leadership with the energy to change the playbook.

I have a proven track record of fighting with urgency and delivering: creating the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline during Trump’s first term, securing $2 billion+ in federal funds for Lynn, and flipping 24 seats from red-to-blue through Serve America to help take back the House in 2018. Winning requires the backbone to challenge our own party’s status quo. Unlike Senator Markey, I’ve pledged from day one not to vote for (Current U.S. Senate Minority Leader) Chuck Schumer for Senate leadership.

I’m taking the fight directly to Trump and corporate greed with the most comprehensive, progressive affordability agenda in this race, treating housing, healthcare, and education as fundamental human rights.

That means banning private equity from our neighborhoods, establishing universal pre-K and healthcare, and funding it through a national wealth tax. I’ve also championed efforts to ban congressional stock trading, reform the Supreme Court, and was the first to call to abolish AND prosecute ICE.

The people of Massachusetts can’t wait six more years for change.

What other information would you like voters to know about you or your policy positions?

On my 50+ stop Listening Tour, from Pittsfield to the Islands, voters told me they want urgency, action, and a senator who keeps showing up long after Election Day. One in three residents are considering leaving Massachusetts because they simply cannot afford to live here anymore. People are tired of passive establishment tactics while everyday families struggle. Democrats need to win the fights that directly impact people’s lives.

To meet this moment, Massachusetts needs a fighter with the backbone to go on offense against Trump and MAGA. That means standing up to Pete Hegseth to stop reckless, unauthorized foreign wars, overhauling our broken immigration system by abolishing ICE, and passing federal legislation to safeguard our election integrity so our democracy endures. Democrats don’t just need to vote the right way – we must fight harder, fight smarter, win tough battles, and deliver tangible results.

Most importantly, my campaign isn’t about preserving a career; it is built for and by the people of Massachusetts. We need your voice and your perspective to change the playbook.

Whether you have a question about my policy positions, want to share what your community is facing, or are ready to get involved, I want to hear from you.