The Current spoke with both candidates for the 6th Congressional District. The story featuring Dan Koh will appear next. Both profiles are in the Oct. 7 print edition.
Republican Micah Jones is making the case that Massachusetts needs a different kind of voice in Washington — one that can work with President Donald Trump when he believes the administration is right and push back when he believes it is wrong.
Jones, an Army veteran and attorney running against Democrat Dan Koh for the 6th Congressional District seat, describes himself as a moderate, Baker-style Republican. Former Gov. Charlie Baker has endorsed him.
“I really do see myself in that common-sense Republican lane that I think Governor Baker exemplified,” Jones told the Current.
Jones said he was a registered Democrat for eight years and voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 before leaving the party. He later voted for Trump in 2020 and 2024.
He said his break with Democrats was driven partly by opposition to the “defund” or “abolish” the police movement, identity politics and what he saw as weakening support for the U.S.-Israel relationship.
But Jones said he would not automatically support Trump or congressional Republicans.
He cited the administration’s tariff policy as a significant disagreement, saying broad tariffs on U.S. allies can increase costs and hurt New England.
“I really disagree with everything going on with Canada right now,” Jones said, noting the region’s extensive trade with its northern neighbor.
Jones also criticized the Trump administration’s approach to immigration enforcement, saying it has gone beyond its initial emphasis on violent and repeat offenders.
He said Massachusetts should not be required to use state and local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration laws and argued that a Republican in the state’s congressional delegation could serve as a bridge to the administration.
“I believe in the 10th Amendment,” Jones said. “I believe that state law enforcement officials should not be required to enforce federal law.”
Jones handled pro bono immigration cases as an attorney, including helping a former Afghan colleague and his family obtain green cards. He supports comprehensive immigration reform and said he would push for more resources for immigration judges.
On affordability, Jones said one priority would be lowering New England’s energy costs. He supports expanding natural gas pipeline infrastructure and developing new nuclear technology, including small modular reactors.
He would also seek to expand the federal deduction for state and local taxes, or SALT, with deductions adjusted to reflect regional cost-of-living differences. He argued that a uniform federal limit does not have the same impact in an expensive community like Marblehead as in lower-cost parts of the country.
Jones also supports additional tax relief for seniors struggling with rising property taxes and federal infrastructure investment to support housing construction.
On abortion, Jones said he supports legal access in Massachusetts and would oppose a federal abortion ban. He said, however, that he believes Massachusetts’ current abortion law goes too far and preferred the state’s previous gestational limits.
“I would not vote for a federal abortion ban,” he said.
Jones supports the Second Amendment but said he would not try to overturn Massachusetts’ gun laws from Washington. He does not support a federal assault weapons ban, saying gun restrictions should generally be decided by individual states.
On health care, Jones opposes Medicare for All but also opposes cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. He said his experience receiving care through the Department of Veterans Affairs has made him skeptical of putting the entire health care system under federal control. He supports greater competition, price transparency and more choices among insurance plans.
Jones strongly backs U.S. military assistance to Israel and said he does not believe Congress should impose new conditions on that aid. He rejected accusations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and said Hamas bears responsibility for the conflict and danger facing Palestinian civilians.
His views on foreign policy, he said, are heavily influenced by his year serving in Afghanistan.
“I really believe in using as much soft power as possible, as much economic leverage as possible before there’s any use of American hard power,” Jones said. “But American hard power always needs to be an option on the table.”
Jones has also made congressional ethics and term limits part of his campaign. He supports prohibiting members of Congress and their spouses from trading individual stocks, saying similar restrictions applied to him and his wife when he worked in securities litigation.
He has signed a pledge to serve no more than three terms, or six years, in the House.
Closer to home, Jones said he would prioritize federal funding to address longstanding pollution problems at King’s Beach in Lynn and Swampscott. Federal dollars, he said, could help address aging sewer infrastructure and other potential sources of contamination.
Jones acknowledged that, unlike Koh, he has never held elected office. But he argues his military and private-sector experience better prepares him for Congress.
Jones served as an Army infantry officer and deployed to Afghanistan before becoming an attorney working on business litigation and matters involving state and federal regulators.
“I think that military experience is a foundation of leadership that cannot be copied anywhere,” Jones said.
He argues that background would give 6th District voters something different in Washington — and Massachusetts something it currently does not have: a Republican in its congressional delegation.
