Democratic congressional candidate Dan Koh says lowering household costs, bringing federal infrastructure dollars back to communities like Marblehead and making himself accessible to constituents would be among his priorities if voters send him to Washington.
Koh, the Democratic nominee for Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District, faces Republican Micah Jones in the Nov. 3 election for the seat held for 12 years by U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton.
In an interview with the Current at his campaign office in Peabody Square, Koh discussed Marblehead’s affordability and infrastructure challenges, his plans to confront the Trump administration, artificial intelligence, military assistance to Israel and constituent service.
Koh, an Andover native, served as chief of staff to Boston Mayor Marty Walsh before working in the Biden administration, first at the U.S. Department of Labor and later in the White House. Most recently, he served on the Andover Select Board.
Affordability and infrastructure
Asked what Congress can do about Marblehead’s rising housing, utility and property-tax costs, Koh said the federal government needs to generate more revenue from corporations and the wealthiest Americans and use it to reduce household expenses.
Koh supports raising the corporate income tax rate from 21% to 28%. He said the additional revenue could help cap utility costs for qualifying households, limit rents based on income and subsidize child care.
“No one, no one’s looking for a handout,” Koh said. “They’re just looking to be able to live with a little bit of dignity.”
Koh also supports Medicare for All and tax-code changes that would increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans.
On Marblehead’s infrastructure needs — including roads, water and sewer systems, flooding and coastal resilience — Koh said he would take his cues from local officials rather than dictate priorities from Washington.
“What’s most important for a place like Marblehead is that I actually talk to the local elected officials about what their biggest priorities are,” he said.
Koh said his experience working with the Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers would help him identify federal funding opportunities.
Confronting Trump
Koh has made opposition to President Donald Trump a central part of his campaign.
Asked what he would want a Democratic-controlled House to do, Koh called for aggressive congressional investigations of the administration and an anti-corruption agenda that would include banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks.
He said congressional oversight should also focus on changes within federal agencies that may receive less public attention, pointing to the Department of Labor as an example.
Koh said Democrats, however, cannot simply run against Trump.
“We all know he sucks, and I’m going to be fighting him every day. But we also need to say, what is the alternative that’s compelling?”
That alternative, he said, should focus heavily on affordability.
Koh said there are also areas where he would work with Republicans, including protecting Medicaid and SNAP benefits and strengthening Social Security.
AI and Israel
The Current asked Koh about outside spending supporting his candidacy from groups associated with the artificial intelligence industry and whether that support could influence his approach to regulating AI.
“I had no control over that spending,” Koh said, noting that outside groups cannot coordinate with campaigns.
He nevertheless called regulating AI an urgent responsibility for Congress.
“Regardless, nobody should be serving in Congress right now who does not believe regulation of AI should be the top priority.”
Koh supports independent safety reviews of AI companies and regulations that can evolve as the technology changes, while acknowledging AI’s potential benefits, including in medicine.
On Israel, Koh said the issue is personal because of his Lebanese heritage. He supports Israel’s existence and a two-state solution but expressed serious concerns about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and its use of U.S. military assistance.
“I believe that you can be anti-Netanyahu and believe in the state of Israel in the same way that you can be anti-Trump and believe in America,” Koh said.
“I think that all aid from the United States should come with conditions,” he added.
Koh said those conditions should include adherence to U.S. law and human rights standards. He also spoke about the suffering of children in Gaza, Israelis killed in the Oct. 7 attack and antisemitism in the district.
‘People are hanging out at Shubie’s’
Koh said his local government experience shaped his view of constituent service.
He has published his cellphone number during the campaign and said that, if elected, he wants residents to encounter their congressman in the places they already go — including Marblehead businesses.
That led him to one of his favorite Marblehead spots.
“People are hanging out at Shubie’s, they’re not hanging out at my campaign office, right?”
Asked what he would want Marblehead residents to say about him two years into a congressional term, Koh said success would not necessarily be measured by a single project.
“Success for me will be that I and my team have the most amazing constituent services people have ever seen,” he said.
Koh acknowledged Moulton’s office has developed a strong reputation for constituent service and said his campaign has already been in contact with Moulton’s staff.
“Seth has been incredible,” Koh said.
Koh also acknowledged that, if elected, he will inevitably take positions some Marblehead residents oppose.
“But I will always be accountable to them,” he said, “and I will always pledge to have those conversations to someone’s face.”
