SWAMPSCOTT — Six Democrats hoping to become the next representative for Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District met voters Thursday evening at Swampscott High School, offering competing visions for the future of the Democratic Party and how aggressively Democrats should confront President Donald Trump.

The forum, hosted by the Democratic committees of Swampscott, Marblehead, and Nahant, comes ahead of a crowded primary race to replace Congressman Seth Moulton, who announced last year that he would challenge Ed Markey for his Senate seat. The field includes Bethany Andres-Beck, John Beccia, Jamie Belsito, Dan Koh, Mariah Lancaster, and Tram Nguyen.

Throughout the evening, candidates repeatedly returned to concerns about healthcare, affordability, campaign finance, and democracy.

Lancaster, a veterinarian and former congressional staffer, described herself as “a doctor, a public servant, and a proud Massachusetts native,” arguing that “in order to represent working people, we have to send working people to Washington.”

Lancaster said her work in veterinary hospitals during the pandemic exposed failures in the healthcare system.

“What I saw in the clinic, and what I know from personal experience managing my own chronic health conditions, is that our health care system is fundamentally broken for our pets and for us,” she said.

Nguyen, a state representative from Andover, tied her candidacy to her family’s immigration story, saying her family arrived in Massachusetts as refugees from Vietnam.

“My story didn’t begin here,” Nguyen said. “It began under the authoritarian regime.”

Nguyen said her experiences shaped her belief that government should “be working for people, everyday people, and not just empowering the few.”

Andres-Beck, a software engineer from Middleton, centered much of their campaign around artificial intelligence and corporate influence.

“Insurance providers use [AI] to deny our care. Property managers use it to raise our rents. The government is using it to spy on all of us,” Andres-Beck said.

“Politics as usual is not going to get us there,” they added. “We are not going to get out of this mess by doing the same thing that got us into it.”

Beccia, a businessman and attorney from Beverly, described himself as an outsider candidate entering politics because “the government is broken.”

“Our politicians have failed us,” Beccia said. “They’re so disconnected from everyday people.”

Koh, a former White House official and chief of staff for Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, framed the race as a direct response to Trump’s presidency.

“We can sit back and roll over while this president literally destroys our democracy and tramples our constitution,” Koh said. “Or we can fight back for the country that we know and love.”

Belsito, a former state representative and maternal mental health advocate, focused heavily on healthcare and working-class issues during her opening remarks, pointing to both her legislative experience and advocacy work.

“I know what it’s like to struggle and what it takes to fight back for change,” Belsito said.

Candidates were later asked what Moulton did well during his time representing the district and what they would do differently if elected.

Nguyen praised Moulton’s constituent services, particularly around immigration issues, saying his office had been “very responsive and willing to help us and our constituents.” Still, Nguyen said she would focus heavily on visibility and communication throughout the district if elected. 

“What people know in my current district is that I’m everywhere,” Nguyen said. “I think it’s very important for people to see their elected officials; getting to know them, meeting them where they’re at.”

Beccia praised Moulton’s military service and willingness to challenge Trump, but argued Congress needs “new leadership” willing “to do what’s best for this community, not just for themselves.”

Lancaster credited Moulton with building a strong district staff, specifically highlighting former district director and chief of staff Rick Jakious.

“I think part of what [Moulton] did very well was staffing incredibly well,” Lancaster said. “I think he chose his people very wisely and really had a team around him that could do good work.”

Still, Lancaster said she would bring a different approach to the role, arguing she is focused entirely on serving in the House itself.

“I think it is the closest that the people get to their government,” she said. “You want somebody who is going to be available to you … and being a strong, vigilant advocate for you in Congress.”

Belsito, who challenged Moulton in 2020, criticized what she described as his reliance on outside political money.

“I had a problem with the billionaire super PAC money that he was taking,” Belsito said. “It was not a grassroots operation. It was not representative of the people that I’m going to represent.”

Still, Belsito praised Moulton’s military service while discussing her own family’s military background and advocacy work supporting military families.

“My grandfather was in the Fourth Marine Division in Iwo Jima, and my father is a Vietnam vet,” she said. “My brother is a military police officer in the Army.”

Andres-Beck argued Moulton “often seemed to be following polls rather than standing for something.”

Koh said the current political climate demands someone with experience “at all levels of government” who can “fight this president at every turn.”

Campaign finance and outside influence became one of the evening’s biggest points of discussion.

“Our seats are for sale,” Belsito said while discussing PAC money and campaign donations. “I’m not taking that money. I’m not doing super PACs. I want to represent you.”

Nguyen said elected officials should answer to voters, not donors.

“I don’t want to be responsive to special interests because they’re pouring millions and billions of dollars into this race,” Nguyen said. “It should be answered by the people here.”

Lancaster called the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision “a truly corrosive, horrific influence” on American politics.

Koh said he would refuse corporate PAC money even if elected to Congress.

“The corporate influencers will go to members of Congress in exchange for influence,” Koh said. “That is wrong. It should never be allowed.”

Beccia described the current political system as “rigged” toward insiders and wealthy donors.

“The reason why so many people don’t run for office is because the system is, for lack of a better word, rigged, and it favors insiders,” Beccia said.

Andres-Beck criticized the use of data brokers that sell voters’ personal information to campaigns.

“These organizations should be regulated the same way our credit bureaus are,” they said.

Candidates also discussed how smaller communities are struggling to manage healthcare, housing, and infrastructure costs amid staffing shortages and shrinking federal support.

Belsito pointed to Topsfield’s ongoing PFAS issues and rising healthcare costs as examples of burdens increasingly falling on local taxpayers.

“What we need to be doing is health care reform through the federal government,” Belsito said. “We need to be putting money into our education system so that towns like Swampscott and Topsfield aren’t paying for these things on the property tax owner.”

Lancaster, calling herself “the public health professional in this race,” argued communities are increasingly being overwhelmed by unfunded federal mandates and workforce shortages.

“We need to be investing in the education of our workforce,” Lancaster said while discussing public health staffing shortages.

Koh warned that Trump administration cuts to housing and healthcare programs would have severe consequences across the district.

“We all know — people on this stage and all of you — have seen food pantries all across this district struggling to keep up with demand because of what Donald Trump is doing,” Koh said.

Nguyen described the current budget climate as “the most brutal budget that I’ve ever faced” during her time in the Legislature.

Beccia argued that affordability issues are increasingly pushing families into crisis.

“We have 40% of people in this state who suffer from food insecurity,” Beccia said. “It’s unacceptable.”

Andres-Beck argued that government systems themselves need modernization to better connect residents and municipalities with public resources.

“If we build software that works well for all of us, we can build things that make it as easy to apply for these programs as it is to apply for a credit card,” Andres-Beck said.

With the primary still months away, Thursday’s forum gave voters one of their most detailed opportunities yet to compare the six candidates side by side, as each tried to make the case that their background and approach best matched the political moment facing both the district and the Democratic Party.