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Rick Jakious, a Swampscott Town Meeting member who has served as Rep. Seth Moulton’s district manager and chief of staff for a decade, announced Monday he is running for Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District seat following Moulton’s decision to challenge Sen. Ed Markey.
Jakious, 48 — whose candidacy was written about by Boston Globe columnist Kevin Cullen on Monday — enters the Democratic primary as the closest thing to an incumbent in the field. The bow tie-wearing aide has been Moulton’s chief of staff since November 2022 and served as district director from March 2015 through November 2022, overseeing activities in the 39 cities and towns across the North Shore district.
“I can’t quite believe I’m saying this, but I’m running for Congress,” Jakious wrote in his announcement over social media early Tuesday morning. “For more than a decade, I’ve worked behind the scenes helping people when government wasn’t working for them.” He added, “Veterans waiting on benefits. Small business owners stuck in red tape. Families who just needed someone to pick up the phone and listen. I’ve seen the system fail, but I’ve also seen what happens when public servants care enough to fix it.”
Jakious’ launch comes as the Democratic primary field rapidly takes shape. On Oct. 15, Dan Koh, a former Andover Select Board member and chief of staff to former Boston mayor Marty Walsh, entered the race — and on Oct. 28 he picked up an endorsement from Vice President Kamala Harris, instantly elevating his profile in the crowded field.
State Rep. Tram Nguyen of Andover officially entered Oct. 23, highlighting her work on health care access, workers’ rights and support for immigrant communities since becoming the first Vietnamese American woman elected to the Massachusetts Legislature in 2018.
Jamie Belsito of Topsfield, a former state representative and the town’s moderator, announced Oct. 16, framing her campaign around unapologetic progressive priorities and grassroots organizing.
John Beccia, an attorney from Lynnfield with a background in financial technology and regulatory compliance, also joined the race, pitching himself as a private-sector problem-solver.
Bethany Andres-Beck, 40, of Middleton, was the first to declare, announcing in July 2025 after Moulton’s comments about transgender athletes in youth sports. A software engineer for Aledade, Andres-Beck, who identifies as transgender and uses they/them pronouns, argues the district needs more responsive representation. Their résumé includes software work on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, organizing for Sen. Elizabeth Warren in 2012, and service on Middleton’s Affordable Housing Trust and Master Plan Committee.
The open-seat scramble underscores the stakes for the North Shore. Jakious is betting that voters will prize his decade of constituent service and continuity with Moulton’s office over outsider credentials. His “39 in 30” Barnstorm Tour — pledging to visit all 39 communities in 30 days — aims to showcase that on-the-ground familiarity.
Jakious’ record extends beyond Moulton’s office. Before joining the congressional staff, he led the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network as chief executive officer, strengthening a sector that employs one in six Massachusetts workers. He spent more than a decade in leadership with City Year, worked for Rep. Brian Baird of Washington state as a district staffer and campaign manager, and was appointed in 2014 by Gov. Deval Patrick to the Massachusetts Health Connector Board as its small-business representative.
A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in nonprofit administration, Jakious also earned a certificate in nonprofit and national service administration from the University of Washington. He lives in Swampscott with his wife, a middle school math teacher, and their two sons.
When Moulton hired Jakious as district director in 2015, the congressman praised his “considerable experience from the nonprofit and public sectors” and his passion for improving the lives of district families. Nearly a decade later, Jakious is asking voters to entrust him directly with that mission.
The Democratic primary is scheduled for Sept. 1, 2026.
