Dan Koh, a former Biden administration aide, won a six-candidate Democratic primary Tuesday to succeed Rep. Seth Moulton in Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District, putting him on track to win the seat in November in a district rated safely Democratic.
Koh had the backing of both former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris. He previously served as chief of staff to then-Labor Secretary Marty Walsh before becoming deputy assistant to the president and deputy director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
This was not Koh’s first run for Congress. In 2018, he narrowly lost the Democratic nomination for the state’s 3rd Congressional District to Rep. Lori Trahan.
On the campaign trail, Koh backed progressive policies including abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement in its current form and establishing universal healthcare.
Koh comes from a family with deep ties to federal government. His father, Howard Koh, served as an assistant secretary in the Department of Health and Human Services under former President Barack Obama, and his uncle served in both the Obama and Clinton administrations.
Koh will face Republican military veteran Micah Jones, who ran unopposed in his own primary, in the November general election for the 6th District seat, which covers northeastern Massachusetts.
Moulton’s Senate Bid Falls Short
Moulton, a Marine Corps veteran who has represented the 6th District since 2015, gave up his House seat to challenge incumbent Sen. Ed Markey in Tuesday’s Democratic Senate primary. That race ended in defeat for Moulton.
Moulton, 47, campaigned on a message of generational change, arguing that Markey, 80, had long since missed his opportunity to deliver meaningful results for Massachusetts residents. Markey, who has held his Senate seat since 2013, drew support from prominent progressive figures including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login