Rep. Seth Moulton met with constituents Friday at Far From The Tree in Salem, sharing his ideas and answering questions.

Moulton is challenging Sen. Edward Markey in the Democratic primary ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. He said part of his motivation to run comes from what he described as “failed leadership in our own party,” adding that during President Donald Trump’s second term, Trump “is hurting a lot of people in Massachusetts and across America.”

“Our fight can’t wait,” Moulton said. “Not only do Democrats need to win the midterms, we need to ensure they happen because we know we know what his intentions are.”

Friday’s event had the brewery packed, with Moulton’s team telling the Swampscott Tides over 130 people had registered. Salem Ward 3 City Councilor Jason Sydoriak introduced Moulton, who delivered a short speech before taking questions from the crowd.

“I am proud to represent all of you currently in the House of Representatives. I would be even more proud to serve you in the United States Senate,” Moulton said to cheers of “Seth” from the crowd.

People asked Moulton how Democrats should fight Trump and his “Make America Great Again” movement.

“It can be very frustrating to see people where they are. I think one thing that we have to show as Democrats is that everyone knows we’re opposed to Trump. Got it. Check. That’s very important, and I think there’s ways we can fight him harder and more effectively,” Moulton said. “We have to show that Democrats have an agenda. We have these affordable plans. We are going to take on AI…I’m not afraid to go on Fox News. I’m not afraid to go on Sean Hannity and give him a hard time on his own show.”

He also said he was “the first in this race to just say it simply: ‘ICE needs to be abolished and prosecuted.’”

Moulton focused a lot of his time on his plan, called the “American Affordability Agenda.” It looks to “level the playing field and provide every American with a strong foundation for achieving the American Dream.” The plan centers around housing, health care and education.

“The reality today is there’s two Americas,” Moulton said. “There’s America for the wealthy, the well-connected, with airline miles and free vacations and travel and tax loopholes, and if you’re well-connected you can fly a private plane with all the tax breaks to the White House and buy a pardon for any law you break. Those are people who feel protected by the law but not bound by it. That’s the Epstein class. They can get away with anything, and Trump is the leader of the class. It’s the only thing he’s ever been valedictorian of his entire life. Then there’s an America for everyone else. People struggling to pay rent, turning down their thermostat because it was a cold winter and they can’t afford electricity bills here in Massachusetts. That’s an America that feels bound by the law but not protected by it.”

For immediate help in the housing sector, Moulton’s plan calls for banning private equity firms from the real estate market, providing additional mortgage support for homebuyers, giving renters more negotiating power and protecting food assistance so families don’t have to choose between paying rent or buying food. In the long term, Moulton said he wants to build more homes in Massachusetts by investing in the rail system, expanding accessory dwelling units and lowering energy costs.

For health care, Moulton is looking to lower prescription drug costs by extending the annual cap on out-of-pocket expenses, to codify Roe v. Wade protections, expand access to maternal care with increased federal funding, and lower health care premiums by extending ACA subsidies. In the long term, Moulton said he wants to eliminate pharmacy deserts, create competition for private insurers and lower drug costs by restricting the role that pharmacy benefit managers play.

And within education, Moulton wants to provide a federal guarantee for universal pre-kindergarten for every 4-year-old, while also expanding workforce training by expanding free community college and vocational options as well as ending predatory student lending by holding financial institutions accountable. In the long term, he said he wants to reform the Department of Education to better support pre-kindergarten and invest in vocational schools to meet the demand and prepare students for artificial intelligence and other innovative technologies.

“It’s so important that we win. You know why this race matters across the country? Because when we go into the November midterm and there are a lot of people in top swing districts, seats that we need to flip…they’re going to be looking at the Democratic Party saying ‘Is that a party we can follow? Is that a party of leaders? Is that a party we want to get behind?’” Moulton said. “If they look at the party and say ‘Oh there they go again, just electing the same old leaders, the same old playbook, the same folks that we voted against back in 2024,’ that’s not a good look, but if they look to Massachusetts and say there’s a new generation of leaders, that this party is sending forward to serve the Commonwealth in the country, that’s going to help midterms all across America.”

Moulton also later told the Swampscott Tides that the rail system can be a driving force in making his plans happen.

Fall polling shows Markey with a sizable lead. A Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll conducted November 25 found Markey ahead of Moulton, 45% to 22%, among Massachusetts registered voters. An earlier UMass Amherst/WCVB poll from November showed 51% support for Markey compared to 28% for Moulton.

Moulton did raise more money than Markey, however, to round out 2025. 

Moulton did talk about his competitor during the event, asking “Why did you vote to send Marco Rubio to the State Department? I mean, come on, the guy’s a snake. And why did he vote to send thousands of us to the Iraq War, naively believing Bush’s lies.”

“We could do better,” Moulton said. “I’m honored that you would rather have me representing you in than the current senator, and I say that with a lot of respect to the current senator. But this race is a lot bigger than Seth and Ed. This is about winning the midterms all across America because the stakes are so high.”

By running for Senate, Moulton is leaving his 6th District seat open. The race is against seven Democratic candidates to fill it – Bethany Andres-Beck, John Beccia, Jamie Belsito, Rick Jakious, Dan Koh, Mariah Lancaster and Ram Nguyen – along with Republican Micah Jones.

Swampscott resident and longtime aide for Moulton, Rick Jakious attended Friday’s event as well.