State Rep. Tram Nguyen said she knows that democracy is fragile and that “our entire system right now is at risk.”

“If we were really hopeless, I would not be here…We can work together to get real change,” Nguyen told the Swampscott Tides. “We need leadership at this moment in time that centers people, centers communities, not D.C. politics, not special interests. That’s what I bring to the table as someone who’s running a campaign with no PACs tax, really focusing on getting the support from the people of the 6th Congressional District because they should be the ones deciding who represents them.”

Nguyen is running to represent the 6th District in Congress, as the  seat is up for grabs after Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) announced he would challenge Sen. Edward Markey in the Democratic primary ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. There are six Democrats  – Bethany Andres-Beck, John Beccia, Jamie Belsito, Dan Koh, Mariah Lancaster and Tram Nguyen – along with Republican Micah Jones.

“I’m running because our government’s in crisis right now and given all the concerns that I have at the federal level,” Nguyen said. “I have loved being a state representative but there are things that no matter how hard we try at the state and local level. There are just issues that we can’t address, so I’m taking this next step to run for Congress at this moment.”

Nguyen chairs the House Committee on Climate Action and Sustainability, making her the first Asian American woman to chair a committee in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. She has received endorsements from over 60 of her State House colleagues as well as community leaders and organizations. 

“I’ve accomplished a lot in the House, but I think at this moment, I’m concerned about what I’m seeing in D.C.,” Nguyen said. “I’m particularly concerned about how important it is for us to not elect another out of touch Washington insider.”

If elected, Nguyen would become the first woman to represent the 6th Congressional District. 

“The exciting part too is that we’ve never had an Asian American represent Massachusetts in Congress,” Nguyen said. “That’s exciting that I could be that first Asian American to represent us in Congress, but also we haven’t had an immigrant in Congress from Massachusetts since the 1800s.”

Born in Vietnam, Nguyen immigrated to the U.S. with her family at age 5 and grew up in the Merrimack Valley. Her father served with the American Eastern and was a political prisoner after the Vietnam War for eight years.

“We came from across the world, from Vietnam to the U.S., for democracy and freedom,” Nguyen said. 

She previously worked at Greater Boston Legal Services, representing survivors of domestic violence in family and immigration law. 

“I haven’t taken the easy path in anything. After law school, I could have gone to a big law firm and made good money, but instead, I went to legal aid, to fight for low wage workers, immigrants, survivors of domestic violence, people with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ community, etc. And in 2017 I decided to fight against the MAGA Republicans for this seat (in the State House) to win, so for me, fighting for what we believe in, especially now for our democracy and our institutions, is so key for all of us.”

Nguyen told the Swampscott Tides that her background as an immigrant herself is important for representation “especially when immigrant families are living in so much fear.” She added that her legal work “brings a unique perspective” that would hopefully contribute to immigration-centered conversations and lead to “true immigration reform.”

“When we’re going across the 6th District, we’re hearing repeats: affordability. High costs are hurting families. As someone who grew up in a blue-collar, immigrant family, a working-class family, I’ve seen how much my parents struggled to provide for us,” Nguyen said. “I believe firmly that government should make life more affordable and predictable, not harder for people.”

Nguyen said that when people can’t put food on the table, they rarely care about anything else, “so that has to come first.”

And while Nguyen currently represents four towns and would quickly upscale to 39 municipalities if elected she said the skillsets needed are the same.

“As someone who’s been a legislator for the last eight years and has more legislative experience than all the other candidates combined, I am confident in my ability to work on policies,” Nguyen said. “For instance, in the last eight years…we have 7,000 to 8,000 bills in discussion. You have to really work with your colleagues and really advocate to get your bills done. I have been able to get 13 bills done in a bipartisan manner. Many of the bills are to uplift working families. Address domestic violence and so many other important issues…Policy is not theoretical to me. I understand how it impacts people.”

She added that she’s willing to work with anyone who will help advance the priorities of the 6th Congressional District. 

“I think we need more people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and do the work,” Nguyen said. “We need to deliver results for people, especially now when we’re hearing so many concerns about affordable housing, health care, child care, utilities, just basic needs. People are worried about education, climate change, investments in our infrastructure.”

Nguyen has worked to pass bills in the State House to protect domestic violence survivors, to expand water quality testing after combined sewer overflow events, to strengthen the direct care and dementia workforce and to address hate crimes. She said she is proud to have passed bills to expand unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic “when that entire system basically collapsed.”

“The most important part of the job is to be there for the people and to show them that government can be a source of good,” Nguyen said, noting that she helped constituents through the 2018 Columbia Gas explosions and the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’m proud of the work that we’ve been able to do, and frankly we had a lot of lessons learned from them. As a legislator, I know the importance of working with local communities, working with the state government and the federal government, and what those relationships can look like to build the safety net that most people rely on and should be able to rely on.”

From October 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, Nguyen’s team has received $710,687.05 in contributions, according to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Nguyen told the Swampscott Tides that almost 85% of her donations come from within Massachusetts and almost 30% come from within the 6th District itself.

Nguyen has been endorsed by many officials and groups, including State House Speaker Pro Tempore Kate Hogan, the SEIU Council, Progressive Mass, the New American Leaders Action Fund and local representatives including Swampscott’s Select Board Vice Chair Danielle Leonard.

Nguyen has spoken at four Democratic candidate debates at this point, including one in Swampscott, when she responded to the Swampscott Tides’ question about local implementation of federal regulations by noting the unprecedented disinvestment people are currently experiencing. 

She shared that her mother’s insurance went from $4 to $235, and she understands “how important it is for us to work with people, to make sure we understand the needs and be responsible to them.”

“I’m running for Congress because I believe that the government should be working for people, everyday people and not just a powerful few,” Nguyen said. “I’ve seen what it’s like when the government has failed us but also what it’s like when it actually delivers for us…I have spent my entire career in public service, making sure that we are uplifting the most vulnerable among us.”

Outside of politics, Nguyen and her husband own two dogs. She enjoys playing tennis and pickleball and performed in a Vietnamese pop band in her 20s.

Nguyen’s name will be on the Democratic primary ballot on September 1.