By Kim Tauro ’28, Austin Preparatory School Student
Dan Koh doesn’t spend much time arguing that he’s the most progressive Democrat in the congressional race. Instead, the former White House official and Boston City Hall chief of staff is making a different case to Sixth District voters: that experience and accessibility matter most during what he calls an unusually consequential moment in American politics.
Koh, an Andover native, is running for Congress in Massachusetts’ 6th District, which includes communities across northeastern Massachusetts, largely on the North Shore and Cape Ann, as well as parts of the Merrimack Valley and northern Middlesex County. His campaign is focused on lowering costs for families, pushing back against the Trump administration and staying closely connected to the people he hopes to represent.
Experience from Day One
Although Dan Koh has worked at some of the highest levels of government, the Democratic candidate for Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District says his campaign is rooted in a simple belief: government should work for everyday people.
Koh, who served in the Biden White House and previously served as chief of staff to former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and as an Andover Select Board member, said his experience has convinced him that the government can solve problems when leaders remain focused on the people they represent. “I’ve seen government work too well for me to accept that this is the best that we can do,” Koh said. “I want to get in there, take on this president and lower costs for families.”
Throughout the interview, Koh repeatedly returned to the same theme: his years in local, municipal and federal government have prepared him to navigate Washington without needing to “learn on the job.”
Lowering Costs for Families
For Koh, the issue residents mention most often is affordability. Housing, in particular, remains a major concern throughout the district. To address rising costs, Koh supports legislation providing up to $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, expanding tax credits for affordable housing development and encouraging local zoning reforms that allow more housing to be built.
He also expressed support for limiting rent costs to no more than 30% of a household’s income. “It’s the combination of all levels of government that’s needed to make these kinds of things happen,” Koh said.
Koh also connected affordability to climate policy, saying investments in renewable energy should lower utility costs instead of creating additional financial burdens. He pointed to federal subsidies for energy-efficient home upgrades as one example of the government making clean energy more accessible to families. “People are hurting enough,” he said. “They can’t afford to upgrade their house. That’s why we need funding as a transition.”
Taking On the Trump Administration
Rather than expressing his ideological differences in a crowded Democratic primary, Koh argues that his background makes him uniquely prepared to serve immediately. “Trump is going to be the president at least for the next two more years,” he said. “In this unique moment, we need someone with experience at all levels of government to be effective on day one, fighting back and lowering costs for families.”
Koh said one of his biggest concerns is that voters have become accustomed to what he sees as increasingly extreme actions from the Trump administration. He pointed to rising gas prices, the administration’s involvement in wars without congressional approval and what he described as an erosion of democratic checks and balances. “We’ve almost become used to his craziness, and we can’t,” Koh said. “We need to defend the fact that we are a democracy.”
Staying Connected to the District
For Koh, experience means little if elected officials lose touch with the communities they represent.
He recalled watching former President Joe Biden spend more than 20 minutes on the phone with the mayor of a town of just 5,000 residents during hurricane season, describing it as an example of how every community deserves attention regardless of its size. “I want to be at every Tewksbury Little League game, every grocery store,” Koh said. “Listening to people’s concerns and being able to deliver results for people no matter what the request.”
That philosophy also shapes how he hopes to serve in Congress. Asked how he would reconnect voters who feel disconnected from Washington, Koh emphasized accessibility, even offering his personal cell phone number to anyone who would like to reach out: 978-225-7455.
“So many people have given up hope because they feel like there’s nowhere to turn,” he said. “I want to be the person that they can turn to and be able to get results fast.” For Koh, constituent service is central to his vision of how government should work.
What’s Driving His Campaign
While policy dominated much of the conversation, Koh frequently returned to the personal experiences that motivate his campaign.
As the father of two young children, he said many of the issues he cares about, from protecting democracy to addressing climate change, are shaped by the future he hopes to leave for the next generation. “If we don’t take action,” he said of climate change, “we’re leaving our kids with a country far worse than what we inherited.”
Koh also reflected on his family’s story. A second-generation American and the grandson of Korean and Lebanese immigrants, he described his candidacy as an example of the opportunities the United States has provided his family. “The odds of my family being here are so incredibly low,” he said. “I want to make sure everyone has the ability to live in America where anything is possible and live that American dream.” For Koh, those personal experiences continue to drive both his campaign and his vision for representing the 6th District.
As voters prepare to choose among several Democratic candidates, Koh hopes they’ll see a candidate who pairs years of government experience with a commitment to staying connected to the people he hopes to serve. “To families all across this district, if you wake up wondering if there’s anyone out there who will fight every day for what you are fighting for,” he said, “that’s exactly what I’ll be doing if I’m fortunate enough to be elected to Congress.”
