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<h2>A Career of Care and Experience.</h2>A proud Massachusetts native and veterinarian by training, Mariah spent the last several years as a civil servant in Washington, gaining expertise in federal policy and advancing progressive priorities.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/61448339-cdd0-4747-9221-665860141cbf/71326755-e9a8-4c8f-b690-bc9ea5969c8e/71326755-e9a8-4c8f-b690-bc9ea5969c8e.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C244%2C863%2C1058&amp;w=1500" alt="Mariah in white coat" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="30" tiltdirection="right" variant="framed">Mariah served as a foreign affairs officer at the State Department, combating environmental crime and corruption around the globe. They managed over $20 million in federal grants, traveled to Africa and Asia to oversee project sites, and helped negotiate U.N. treaties to safeguard our public health and protect the environment.Mariah more recently served as a science policy advisor and legislative staff in the U.S. House of Representatives - drafting bills, staffing congressional hearings, and shaping federal policy on issues from agriculture to national security. All the while, Mariah has been a fierce advocate for public health, conservation, and other progressive policies.While in Washington, Mariah continued to help families and their pets by working nights and weekends at an emergency veterinary hospital and volunteered at the local wildlife clinic.When the Republicans took over Congress, Mariah moved into non-profit government affairs, leveraging their skills and experience to work across party lines while advocating for public health, conservation, and national security.When the Trump administration directly opposed their work and congressional Republicans followed suit, Mariah and their fiancé, Josh, decided to come home to Massachusetts to fight them another way.

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<h2>Restoring the Integrity of Our Nation.</h2><img src="https://run.imgix.net/61448339-cdd0-4747-9221-665860141cbf/02e355fd-2629-4297-a82f-6a037da1c095/02e355fd-2629-4297-a82f-6a037da1c095.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C3477%2C2694&amp;w=1500" alt="Candidate smiling in front of the Capitol Building" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="42" tiltdirection="right" variant="framed">Across the country, families are struggling to survive and Washington is failing them. Republicans are dismantling generations of progress, jacking up healthcare costs, and revoking critical funding for the North Shore’s energy security. To restore the American middle class, Democrats must realign their priorities to serve working families - and to fight for working people, we have to send a working person to Washington. We deserve a voice in Washington who will deliver for the families that make up our community. Amidst this chaos, Dr. Lancaster knows how to stem the bleeding. They will keep money in the pockets of hardworking Americans by fighting for universal healthcare, affordable housing, equitable and accessible education, and to keep safe, healthy food on every kitchen table across America. As this administration undermines everything from food safety to our civil rights, experienced scientists, activists, and public servants are risking everything to protect our country.<h5>With our democracy on the line, Dr. Mariah Lancaster is ready for battle. </h5>

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<h2>Mariah Knows the Struggle First-Hand.</h2><img src="https://run.imgix.net/61448339-cdd0-4747-9221-665860141cbf/7b4b4b08-69be-4374-93d4-4b7626e07f18/7b4b4b08-69be-4374-93d4-4b7626e07f18.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=18&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1368%2C932&amp;w=1500" alt="Mariah as a child with Jasper, their childhood dog" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="45" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">The youngest of three, Mariah was raised in Lexington by a single mom in the wake of their father’s bankruptcy.Diagnosed with complex health conditions as a teenager, Mariah had to fight for the care they needed to not just survive, but to thrive. Mariah proudly attended public schools, graduated from University of Massachusetts Amherst, and earned their doctorate in veterinary medicine from Tufts University. Mariah spent the pandemic as an essential employee, working as an emergency veterinarian to keep clinic doors open across New England amidst staffing shortages. Relying on federal student loans for college, Mariah has never missed a payment - yet their loans keep growing.Helping families in times of crisis, Mariah saw firsthand how corporate hospitals just keep raising prices, pushing care out of reach for families fighting to save the lives of their beloved pets.

Mariah spent the last four years in D.C. working on behalf of the American people.Then, the Trump administration started gutting our government, kidnapping our friends and neighbors, and selling off our country to the highest bidder. With our democracy hanging in the balance, Mariah moved home to step up for our communities and fight for Massachusetts.

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"In the wealthiest nation on earth, we can afford to provide for American families."– Dr. Mariah Lancaster

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Healthcare is a human right. Insurance premiums are skyrocketing.Single-payer is the clear solution.Kick CEOs, shareholders, and politicians OUT of your doctor's office. No one should profit off your pain.We can guarantee universal healthcare, enshrine reproductive freedom, and ensure no American goes bankrupt from medical costs.

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Every aspect of American life is corrupted by corporate interests from the gas pump to the Supreme Court.Billionaires are raising prices in grocery stores and online, dodging taxes while reaping profits from the labor of working Americans.We can root out corruption, reform the courts, tax the rich, and restore the middle class.

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"Education is the great equalizer."Every student, at every age, deserves access to a quality, affordable education. Rising tuition costs and predatory student loan policies have shackled generations into insurmountable debt. We have to break the cycle.We can invest in universal childcare, fully funded K-12 public education, and affordable college for every family.

<h2>Access to Education</h2>

Energy prices are out of control.Clean energy is cheaper than fossil fuels. Trump is defunding clean energy projects, stealing electricity to fuel AI data centers, and starting endless wars for oil.Diverse, renewable energy lowers costs for working families and protects our environment for generations to come.We can afford a green economy that creates jobs and invests in our national security.

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Join Dr. Mariah Lancaster in Rockport this Sunday! This is a great opportunity to show your support for the campaign, get involved with the team, and hear Dr. Lancaster speak! See you there!

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A majority of Thursday night’s discussion concerned the issue of affordability in the state. As Rep. Nguyen said, “People cannot begin to tackle the larger issues of politics if they cannot put food on the table or keep a roof over their heads.” Signs of division between the candidates began to manifest as candidates argued over the root cause of this issue of affordability. Candidates wrestled with how much responsibility the Trump Administration bears over the affordability crisis: “Tariffs are shoring up all of our household costs,” said Belsito. “They are hamstringing every single one of us.” Other candidates diverged stating that the issues of affordability in Massachusetts have existed long before the Trump Administration. All candidates shared concern over the rising number of individuals in the state that are being priced out of the housing market. Progressive candidates at the debate shifted the focus away from the federal level and spoke to solutions within the state: “It’s quite simple to me,” said Andres-Beck. “We need to build more housing. Other candidates rightfully point out that capitalism is the problem but plan to solve it with more capitalism.”Fellow progressive Belsito resumed focus on the federal government and the misuse of American tax dollars: “You cannot try and tell me we don’t have the money we need for our towns while our country spends billions in wars overseas.” Candidates spent significant time discussing international conflict as the war in Iran loomed in the background. Yet again, stark lines were drawn between candidates. Beccia resounded that: “The Trump approach is the largest issue on the international stage. We are laughing stocks currently. How the administration has handled international affairs without congressional consent.”Beccia went on to strike a moderate tone on international issues: “I believe that Israel is an important ally to the US, but I believe in a two-state solution, and that there is a true humanitarian crisis in Gaza. I believe we need to prevent Iran from having access to nuclear weapons, but our action needs to be approved by congress. We cannot continue to be governed by executive order.”Other candidates struck a different tone: “We must reestablish our leadership on the international stage,” said Lancaster. “Both Biden and Trump have been found to be in gross violation of the Leahy Laws by continuing to fund Israel’s human rights abuses. We must revoke the 2002 authorization made under the Bush administration, which this funding of atrocity is built upon.”“As an American and as a mother I am embarrassed,” said Belsito. “We are watching a genocide play out in live time on our Instagram feeds. I am done with conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism. To the Jewish people in our community, you have an ally in me, and I will protect you, just as I will protect our Muslim neighbors and our Christian neighbors.”Andres-Beck realigned the conversation: “We aren’t even talking about how we are blocking oil from entering Cuba and essentially cut off electricity to those in the country, because it is the third major world conflict we are embroiled in.” Rep. Nguyen reinforced her fellow candidates points about the need to recognize the conflict in Gaza as a genocide and the US Government’s complicity in human rights abuses across the globe adding, “Congress is not using all the tools at its disposal to combat this administration.”This led to the candidates debating the role bipartisanship should play in their platform. Koh reasserted his position as an “aggressive and ambitious” fighter against the Trump agenda, while stressing the need for bipartisanship in said fight: “I am willing to work with anyone who is willing to work with me,” he said. This brought the debate to its most pointed criticism as Belsito commented on the funding of Koh’s campaign by his father, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Health, Howard Koh.Koh deflected this criticism by stating that attacking his family was “far over the line.” All candidates agreed that representation in government was affected by the hurdles of wealth and resources. Progressive candidates Belsito, Lancaster and Nguyen utilized this distinction in funding to set themselves apart from candidates Koh and Beccia, who represented a class of political candidates alienated from the middle class. Lancaster continued to differentiate herself from the other candidates, citing her experience as a Congressional aide, stating that, as the only candidate with congressional experience, she has the tools to build a coalition as a freshman representative; a claim that was disputed by Koh who served as a White House aide in the Biden administration. “Democrats are angry. They have every right to be, but we need to move beyond the message of just fighting Trump,” said Beccia, stating the need to reach across the aisle in order to deliver for American people. Andres-Beck concluded the conversation on bipartisanship by speaking to their experience as a transgender American, citing how trans people’s existence has become a political positioning tool: “We believe people when they tell us who they are,” they said. “We believe in redemption but we also believe in accountability.”Andres-Beck priority on accountability came into focus during the lightning round of the debate; when asked if ICE should continue to exist they gave the simple answer: “No, and they should be prosecuted.”The lightning round concluded the night, bringing levity to the evening, as all six candidates attempted to resonate with voters on less controversial issues like best Massachusetts sports team and best place to eat in the district. After 90 minutes of debate, the candidates were given an enthusiastic round of applause as their campaigns will continue, leading up to the primary in September.<a href="https://andovermanews.com/6th-district-democrats-debate-affordability-foreign-policy-at-salem-state-forum/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Full article here</a>

"Progressive candidates Belsito, Lancaster and Nguyen utilized this distinction in funding to set themselves apart from candidates Koh and Beccia, who represented a class of political candidates alienated from the middle class."

<h4>6th District Democrats Debate Affordability, Foreign Policy at Salem State Forum</h4>

SALEM — If you blinked, 2020 was so back at Salem State University.The six Democrats competing to replace US Representative Seth Moulton in the Sixth Congressional District faced off at a candidate forum Wednesday, offering takes on voters’ economic concerns, foreign affairs, healthcare, and climate policy.The 90-minute event was reminiscent of the Democratic presidential contest in 2020, when a bevy of candidates were similarly testing Democratic messages to stand out as the party’s best option to battle President Trump and his allies.Wednesday’s debate offered candidates an opportunity to try to break away from a crowded field ahead of the Sept. 1 primary.The candidates include Bethany Andres-Beck, a Middleton software engineer; John Beccia, a Lynnfield businessman; Jamie Belsito, the Topsfield town moderator; Dan Koh, a former White House official from Andover; Mariah Lancaster, a former federal worker of Salem; and state Representative Tram Nguyen of Andover.Here’s what to know from the rare one-on-one-on-one-on-one-on-one-on-one forum:<h5>‘I agree’ was the refrain of the night — especially on affordability</h5>Candidates offered similar, if not identical, messages in different fonts throughout the night, making it feel more like a collaborative policy discussion than a contentious debate.Nowhere was that more prevalent than on issues around affordability, the cost of living, and the economy, phrases collectively mentioned more than 50 times.“In traveling across the 39 towns and cities, the No. 1 issue that we hear from folks is affordability,” Nguyen said. “People are not going to worry about other things — they cannot worry about other things — if they cannot put food on the table."Or as put by Beccia: “Affordability is an issue, it is not just a slogan.”Proposed solutions included strengthening worker protections (Nguyen), pushing middle-class tax relief (Beccia), reining in housing and child care costs (Koh), breaking up monopolies (Lancaster), reversing Trump’s tariffs (Belsito), and changing federal policy to address education and energy prices (Andres-Beck).All of the candidates, separately, said they supported abolishing federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement, implementing some form of universal health care, and regulating artificial intelligence.That said, there were a few points of disagreement.When asked whether they planned to support Senator Ed Markey or Moulton in the party’s US Senate primary, four out of six named Markey. Koh, however, said he was “one of the 50 percent undecided,” and Beccia said he would “abstain” from answering.<h5>The biggest point of contention? Cash.</h5>The debate stayed civil — for the most part. That is, until a few candidates took swipes at their rivals’ humongous cash hauls and insider connections.Koh has far out-raised the field, pulling in $3.5 million by the end of March.Beccia has put $2 million of his own money into his campaign, making him one of Massachusetts’ biggest self-funders in recent years. He indirectly took aim at Koh’s Washington experience.“We’re sending insiders to DC with people who just aren’t focused on the right things,” Beccia said. “We need to reform the system from top to bottom. Obviously, we’ve got to take the money out of politics.”Belsito then interjected: “You know the system’s broken when you have $2 million of your own dollars to self-fund a campaign,” drawing applause from the crowd.Beccia later said he’s “been very blessed” and that he was “betting on myself” but still supported system reforms.Belsito, who called the race an example of “class warfare,” also referenced Koh’s father, Howard Koh, who served as a public health official in the Obama administration, while saying her father, a floor layer, “can’t call anybody to help me in Congress.”“Respectfully, I think we should leave parents out of this conversation,” Koh responded.“I don’t have, and the majority on the stage do not have, access to the wealth that you do to be running for this race, and that is part of the problem of what this race has presented,” Belsito said.<h5>Candidates offered an array of anti-Trump messages</h5>All six candidates invoked Trump’s name dozens of times as they criticized his administration’s tariffs and handling of global conflicts, among other things.But the group, in agreement that Democrats are “angry” and have an opportunity to “define the future” of their party, offered differing visions on the best resume to take on his administration.Those in the group with federal government experience — Koh, Belsito, and Lancaster — held up their prior work in Washington as evidence that they understand how the federal system works. Nguyen leaned on her experience in state government. And Andres-Beck and Beccia emphasized that their experiences in science and business, respectively, would bring fresh, outside perspectives to Capitol Hill.They also disagreed on how much they would need to work across the aisle.“Now is not the time to play patty-cake with MAGA,” said Koh, who pitched perhaps the most direct anti-Trump platform of the evening.Beccia, at another point, said it’s important to “find common ground” to “get things done” while discussing his business background — prompting a retort from Andres-Beck.“I don’t understand how you can call for revolution on the one hand, and then say you expect bipartisan cooperation with people currently in power on the other,” Andres-Beck said.The discussion was a nod to the deep anti-Trump sentiment in Massachusetts, a state that hasn’t elected a Republican to the US House in the last three decades. The winner of the Democratic primary will face Micah Q. Jones, an Army veteran and the only Republican on the Sixth District ballot, in November.“What we need to accomplish will take Republican votes ... especially in the Senate,” Lancaster said. “To say that they won’t, is ignorant.”<a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/06/18/metro/mass-sixth-congressional-primary-democrats-debate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Full article here</a>

"The six Democrats competing to replace US Representative Seth Moulton in the Sixth Congressional District faced off at a candidate forum Wednesday, offering takes on voters’ economic concerns, foreign affairs, healthcare, and climate policy."

<h4>The Democrats vying for Moulton’s House seat debated. Here’s what to know from the 6-way matchup.</h4>

SALEM, MA — The Massachusetts Teachers Association has endorsed Dr. Mariah Lancaster in the race for Massachusetts’ Sixth Congressional District, according to a campaign announcement.The union, which represents more than 117,000 educators and school staff statewide, pointed to Lancaster’s support for public education and workers’ rights in announcing the endorsement.“More than ever before, we need members of Congress who will staunchly defend public education and working families,” MTA President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy said in a joint statement. They said Lancaster aligns with the union’s priorities, including equitable opportunities for students and respect for workers.Lancaster said the endorsement reflects shared priorities around strengthening schools and expanding access to education.“I am honored to have earned the endorsement of the Massachusetts Teachers Association and its 117,000 members,” Lancaster said in a statement.A Massachusetts native and trained veterinarian, Lancaster has worked in federal policy roles in Washington, including at the State Department and in Congress, according to the campaign.The Sixth District includes communities on the North Shore and in the Merrimack Valley, including Andover.<a href="https://andovermanews.com/massachusetts-teachers-association-endorses-lancaster-in-sixth-district-race/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Full article here</a>

"The Massachusetts Teachers Association has endorsed Dr. Mariah Lancaster in the race for Massachusetts’ Sixth Congressional District, according to a campaign announcement."

<h4>Massachusetts Teachers Association Endorses Lancaster In Sixth District Race</h4>

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<h4>Event title here</h4>

“DHS is a duplicative and wasteful Department — ICE has devolved into a criminal agency that terrorizes American families.” –Mariah I was the first candidate in this race to call for the abolishment of ICE, the dismantling of DHS, and the impeachment of Kristi Noem. The Republicans in Congress gave ICE $75 billion — enough to operate for the next seven years — they're killing Americans, and now Trump is asking for more. Our immigration system should reflect our values. Allowing ICE to kidnap our neighbors across the North Shore and hold them in a detention facility in Burlington is not who we are as Americans. I will fight to dismantle the machinery of fear and build a humane immigration system:<ul><li>Close the DHS concentration camps and impose a moratorium on new detention facilities</li><li>Prohibit family and child detention </li><li>End mandatory detention and all incentives for mass detention</li><li>Abolish and prosecute ICE and Trump’s DHS leadership</li><li>Repeal ICE funding from the "Big Ugly Bill" </li><li>Pass the DREAM Act and create a clear, streamlined pathway to citizenship including amnesty for current U.S. residents</li><li>Dismantle DHS, restoring TSA to the Department of Transportation where it belongs</li><li>Require immigration agents to wear visible agency identification and body-cameras</li><li>Establish a commission to design a humane, accountable civil immigration enforcement system</li><li>Prevent the National Guard from engaging in immigration enforcement</li><li>Reform immigration courts into an independent judiciary staffed by qualified, impartial judges</li><li>Repeal the three-year, ten-year, and permanent bars to reentry for undocumented immigrants</li><li>Restore Medicaid eligibility for immigrants and remove discriminatory Medicare restrictions on green card holders</li></ul>

Our immigration system should reflect our values. Mariah was the first candidate in the MA-06 race to call for the abolishment of ICE, the dismantling of DHS, and the impeachment of Kristi Noem. Sending the National Guard to terrorize our neighbors in Salem, Lynn, and across the North Shore is not who we are as Americans.

<h2>Abolish ICE &amp; Protect Immigrants</h2>

The Democratic primary race to replace Seth Moulton has just gotten more crowded. In a fiery announcement video (embedded below), the candidate, Dr. Mariah Lancaster, said, “We’re all getting screwed as billionaire oligarchs divide us and distract us.” “They’re profiting off the pain of working Americans,” the candidate said. A veterinary surgeon and former civil servant, Lancaster is 36 and identifies as non-binary, according to Politico. Lancaster “served as a foreign affairs officer at the State Department, combating environmental crime and corruption around the globe, and then as a staffer in Congress, helping Democratic Congresswomen shape policy on issues from agriculture to national security,” according to their website. Lancaster said families cannot afford groceries or medicine, and that politicians in Washington show little interest in the plight of working people. “This is the fight we’re in,” they said. “We need leaders not politicians that send strongly worded letters, deliver canned remarks and just go home,” they said. Among Lancaster’s progressive goals are the prohibition of stock trading by members of Congress and a ban on Citizens United. <a href="https://thelocalnews.news/2026/01/05/mariah-lancaster-joins-race-to-replace-moulton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Full article here</a>

"In a fiery announcement video (embedded below), the candidate, Dr. Mariah Lancaster, said, “We’re all getting screwed as billionaire oligarchs divide us and distract us.”"

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<h4>7th candidate jumps into race to replace Moulton </h4>

"To fight for working people, we have to send working people to Washington" –Mariah Unions built the middle class. Infrastructure connects it. Education sustains it. I will fight for all three. As an emergency veterinarian, I've seen firsthand that the vast majority of American families can't afford an $1,000 emergency. People are working hard, day in-day out, and yet our wages aren't rising while prices skyrocket.The Trump administration has waged an all-out assault on labor unions, slashed infrastructure investments, and abandoned the families who need reliable transit, good jobs, and affordable childcare to survive. I will stand with workers from day one.<ul><li>Pass the PRO Act to strengthen collective bargaining rights and protect workers' freedom to organize</li><li>Expand anti-trust enforcement, breaking up monopolies to improve wages and restore consumer choice</li><li>Cap corporate executive pay at 50x their median worker and 100x their lowest paid worker.</li><li>Pass federal paid Family and Medical Leave, including pet bereavement</li><li>Scrap the cap on Social Security payroll taxes, eliminate income tax on Social Security, and increase benefits</li><li>Invest in workforce training and union apprenticeships for clean energy construction and modern manufacturing jobs</li><li>Build high-speed rail, electrified commuter rail, and expanded MBTA bus service with fare relief for low-income and disabled riders</li><li>Expand infrastructure for electric vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians</li><li>Recognize and support Congressional staff unions and pay all interns and staff living wages</li></ul>

The Trump administration has waged an all-out assault on labor unions, slashed infrastructure investments, and abandoned the families who need reliable transit, good jobs, and affordable childcare to survive. Mariah will stand with workers from day one.

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<h2>Fight for Working Americans</h2>

"LGBTQIA+ rights are a matter of life and death. As a member of the queer community, I refuse to allow bigotry and hatred to govern our policy, at home or abroad." – Mariah America's greatest strength has always been its relationships — with allies, international institutions, and the global community.Our nation was once a force for good in this world. Trump has squandered that legacy. It's up to Congress to rebuild it. As a former State Department official, I worked firsthand with government partners around the globe while administering millions in foreign aid to combat organized crime and advance conservation and human rights. As your Representative to Congress, I will repair our international relationships and renew our nation’s leadership role in the world order. To protect America's legacy, we must:<ul><li>Uphold and enforce U.S. Leahy Laws, preventing our tax dollars for being used to violate human rights around the globe</li><li>Oppose foreign military action without explicit Congressional authorization</li><li>Rebuild a transparent humanitarian aid agency, restoring investments in public health, childhood nutrition, and agricultural support</li><li>Restore foreign aid to combat organized crime and protect our national security</li><li>Ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and extend its protections to include gender identity and sexual orientation</li><li>Pass the Equality Act to protect trans healthcare and youth, and expand funding for LGBTQ+ community health and housing</li><li>Ratify the Rome Statute and support full U.S. participation in the International Criminal Court</li><li>Rejoin UNESCO, the WHO, the Paris Climate Accord, and other global institutions abandoned by the Trump administration</li><li>Classify discriminatory book bans as federal civil rights violations and reverse Trump’s DEI bans within federal agencies</li><li>Grant DC statehood and ban federal overrides of democratically-passed DC City Council legislation</li><li>Restore diplomatic relations with Cuba and grant Puerto Rico the autonomy to choose statehood or independence</li></ul>

As a diplomat and foreign affairs officer at the U.S. Department of State, Mariah managed over $20 million a year in foreign aid to combat corruption, disrupt international criminal networks, and protect our environment and human rights defenders. In Congress, Mariah will fight to restore America's role as a global leader for human rights.

<h2>Champion Human Rights</h2>

Dr. Mariah Lancaster is a trained veterinarian and a former State Department and Congressional staffer.SALEM, MA — Salem veterinarian and former State Department employee and Congressional staffer Mariah Lancaster is in line to appear on the Sept. 1 Democratic primary ballot for U.S. Representative after they said they submitted more than 3,000 signatures from cities and towns across the district on Tuesday."Thank you so much to everyone who signed my papers," she said in a social media announcement. "And we're off to the races."Candidates must submit 2,000 valid signatures certified by municipalities within the district and then file a written acceptance of the nomination with the Secretary of the Commonwealth."This movement isn't about one person," Lancaster said. "This is a step toward universal healthcare, equitable education, clean energy, and combating the rampant corruption eroding the heart of our democracy."To fight for working people, we have to send working people to Congress. Now, the race really begins."Lancaster is one of six Democratic candidates set to appear in a Congressional Candidate Forum at Swampscott High School on Thursday.Lancaster said they trained as an emergency veterinarian and worked across New England, grappling with student loans while filling staffing gaps to keep veterinary hospitals open during the pandemic.Helping families in times of crisis, Lancaster said they saw firsthand how rising prices push care out of reach for families, forcing them to choose between saving the life of a beloved pet and putting food on the table.Lancaster served as a foreign affairs officer at the State Department, and then as a staffer in Congress, helping Democratic Congresswomen shape policy on issues from agriculture to national security.While in Washington, they continued to help families and their pets by working nights and weekends at the local emergency veterinary hospital.Lancaster then moved into non-profit government affairs, leveraging their skills and experience to work across party lines and advocate for changes in the federal government.<a href="https://patch.com/massachusetts/salem/salem-congressional-candidate-submits-signatures-democratic-primary-ballot" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Full article here</a>

"Salem veterinarian and former State Department employee and Congressional staffer Mariah Lancaster is in line to appear on the Sept. 1 Democratic primary ballot for U.S. Representative after they said they submitted more than 3,000 signatures from cities and towns across the district on Tuesday."

<h4>Salem Congressional Candidate Submits Signatures For Democratic Primary Ballot</h4>

<span class="image video image-left" data-embed="&lt;iframe width=&quot;100%&quot; height=&quot;166&quot; scrolling=&quot;no&quot; frameborder=&quot;no&quot; allow=&quot;autoplay; encrypted-media&quot; src=&quot;https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2338175030&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://soundcloud.com/whmp&quot; title=&quot;WHMP Radio&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; style=&quot;color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;WHMP Radio&lt;/a&gt; · &lt;a href=&quot;https://soundcloud.com/whmp/mta-president-max-page-w-congressional-candidate-mariah-lancaster-running-for-an-open-seat-for-the-6th-congressional-district-primary-in-september-1&quot; title=&quot;MTA President Max Page w/ Congressional Candidate Mariah Lancaster: running for an open seat for the 6th Congressional District, Primary in September&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; style=&quot;color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;MTA President Max Page w/ Congressional Candidate Mariah Lancaster: running for an open seat for the 6th Congressional District, Primary in September&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;" style="width: 40%;"><img imageurl="https://run.imgix.net/61448339-cdd0-4747-9221-665860141cbf/3f037eac-8791-47e8-ac4e-a30a65e17139/3f037eac-8791-47e8-ac4e-a30a65e17139.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C500%2C500&amp;w=1500" embedcode="&lt;iframe width=&quot;100%&quot; height=&quot;166&quot; scrolling=&quot;no&quot; frameborder=&quot;no&quot; allow=&quot;autoplay; encrypted-media&quot; src=&quot;https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2338175030&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://soundcloud.com/whmp&quot; title=&quot;WHMP Radio&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; style=&quot;color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;WHMP Radio&lt;/a&gt; · &lt;a href=&quot;https://soundcloud.com/whmp/mta-president-max-page-w-congressional-candidate-mariah-lancaster-running-for-an-open-seat-for-the-6th-congressional-district-primary-in-september-1&quot; title=&quot;MTA President Max Page w/ Congressional Candidate Mariah Lancaster: running for an open seat for the 6th Congressional District, Primary in September&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; style=&quot;color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;MTA President Max Page w/ Congressional Candidate Mariah Lancaster: running for an open seat for the 6th Congressional District, Primary in September&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;" alt="" align="left" alignwidth="40" src="https://run.imgix.net/61448339-cdd0-4747-9221-665860141cbf/3f037eac-8791-47e8-ac4e-a30a65e17139/3f037eac-8791-47e8-ac4e-a30a65e17139.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C500%2C500&amp;w=1500" data-embed="&lt;iframe width=&quot;100%&quot; height=&quot;166&quot; scrolling=&quot;no&quot; frameborder=&quot;no&quot; allow=&quot;autoplay; encrypted-media&quot; src=&quot;https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2338175030&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://soundcloud.com/whmp&quot; title=&quot;WHMP Radio&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; style=&quot;color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;WHMP Radio&lt;/a&gt; · &lt;a href=&quot;https://soundcloud.com/whmp/mta-president-max-page-w-congressional-candidate-mariah-lancaster-running-for-an-open-seat-for-the-6th-congressional-district-primary-in-september-1&quot; title=&quot;MTA President Max Page w/ Congressional Candidate Mariah Lancaster: running for an open seat for the 6th Congressional District, Primary in September&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; style=&quot;color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;MTA President Max Page w/ Congressional Candidate Mariah Lancaster: running for an open seat for the 6th Congressional District, Primary in September&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;"><span class="video-button-placeholder" data-embed="&lt;iframe width=&quot;100%&quot; height=&quot;166&quot; scrolling=&quot;no&quot; frameborder=&quot;no&quot; allow=&quot;autoplay; encrypted-media&quot; src=&quot;https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2338175030&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://soundcloud.com/whmp&quot; title=&quot;WHMP Radio&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; style=&quot;color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;WHMP Radio&lt;/a&gt; · &lt;a href=&quot;https://soundcloud.com/whmp/mta-president-max-page-w-congressional-candidate-mariah-lancaster-running-for-an-open-seat-for-the-6th-congressional-district-primary-in-september-1&quot; title=&quot;MTA President Max Page w/ Congressional Candidate Mariah Lancaster: running for an open seat for the 6th Congressional District, Primary in September&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; style=&quot;color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;MTA President Max Page w/ Congressional Candidate Mariah Lancaster: running for an open seat for the 6th Congressional District, Primary in September&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/whmp/mta-president-max-page-w-congressional-candidate-mariah-lancaster-running-for-an-open-seat-for-the-6th-congressional-district-primary-in-september-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Click play or listen to the interview here.</a>

"I'm not sure that I would say that what we're seeing in the White House today is organized crime so much as it is disorganized crime."

<h4>MTA Pres. Max Page w/ Candidate Mariah Lancaster: running for open seat for MA-06, Primary in Sep.</h4>

The race for the 6th Congressional District seat — currently held by Rep. Seth Moulton — is beginning to take shape ahead of the September primary.Moulton officially launched his campaign last October to challenge Sen. Ed Markey in the 2026 Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary. The 46-year-old has largely focused his message on generational change, arguing that the 79-year-old incumbent should not seek another term.Mariah LancasterMariah Lancaster, an emergency veterinarian and former congressional staffer, is running for the 6th Congressional District seat with a campaign focused on economic struggles facing working families and what they describe as systemic failures at the federal level.Lancaster said their decision to run stems from firsthand experience seeing the financial strain many families face. “I’m running for Congress because the system is rigged against us, and working families are suffering,” they said, pointing to rising costs for essentials like housing, health care, and childcare.Drawing from their work in veterinary emergency medicine, they added that they’ve seen firsthand “just how close to the edge families are living,” emphasizing that these challenges require national policy solutions, as it is effecting not just Massachusetts, but the whole country.They describe their background as a key distinction from other candidates, combining experience in government, science, and frontline service. Lancaster previously worked as legislative staff in the U.S. House of Representatives and as a diplomat, experiences they say provide an understanding of both domestic policy and foreign affairs. “I understand the systems in place, how they’re broken, and how to begin fixing them on day one,” they said.At the same time, Lancaster emphasized their work outside of government, including overnight shifts during the pandemic treating pets and wildlife. They described themselves as “a subject matter expert in medicine, food safety, and biosecurity,” adding that their approach to policy is rooted in scientific evidence rather than political rhetoric.“Americans are sick and tired of lawyers and businessmen treating our government like a playground for their career development. If we want a government that will fight for working people, we have to send working people to Washington,” they said.If elected, Lancaster said their initial focus would be ensuring a smooth transition from Seth Moulton’s office while also addressing what they see as widespread government corruption. They said they would work with the Congressional Progressive Caucus to pursue accountability measures across all branches of government, including stronger oversight and restoring independence to federal institutions.Lancaster also identified climate change as a central priority, calling it an “existential threat” and advocating for expanded clean energy investment, environmental protections, and international cooperation to reduce emissions.“I was raised by parents who wanted to make the world a better place. My father studied environmental law and early climate science and my mother earned her degree in reproductive health. They were policy activists who taught us to be the change we wish to see in the world. My siblings and I all went into the life sciences — my brother as an EMT, my sister as a nurse, and I became a veterinarian. At each step of my career, I sought to make a bigger difference in the fight for working people and our entire world,” they said.Lancaster realized while advising policy makers in Washington that to make a difference “you have to take a stand,” adding that they are “ready to serve this district with loyalty, humility, and integrity.”<a href="https://itemlive.com/2026/04/21/meet-the-candidates-for-the-sixth-congressional-district/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Full article here</a>

"If elected, Lancaster said their initial focus would be ensuring a smooth transition from Seth Moulton’s office while also addressing what they see as widespread government corruption. They said they would work with the Congressional Progressive Caucus to pursue accountability measures across all branches of government, including stronger oversight and restoring independence to federal institutions."

<h4>Meet the candidates for the Sixth Congressional District</h4>

NORTH SHORE — A candidate in the Democratic primary to be Congressman Seth Moulton’s replacement, has called for the abolition of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.“[Secretary of Homeland Security] Kristi Noem and ICE are coming into our communities, bringing the very violence and chaos that they claim to be rooting out,” Mariah Lancaster said in a video posted to social media platforms and embedded below.“They are lying to us, telling us to deny what we can see with our own eyes and ears. This is why ICE must be abolished,” they said.“In my career as a civil servant at the State Department and through my work on Capitol Hill, I saw first hand that the Department of Homeland Security is duplicative and a waste of tax dollars,” Lancaster said.Saying ICE is “the product of a misguided national security policy implemented over 20 years ago,” they called ICE “an outright rogue agency – victimizing our communities, tearing families apart, and murdering Americans. The agents responsible for killing Renee Good must be held accountable and fully prosecuted. No one is above the law.”Lancaster’s comments follow the killing in Minneapolis of Renee Good, 37, by ICE on January 7. “What we absolutely cannot do is allow the murder of American citizens to get swept under the rug,” they said.<a href="https://thelocalnews.news/2026/01/12/candidate-for-congress-calls-for-abolition-of-ice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Full article here</a>

"A candidate in the Democratic primary to be Congressman Seth Moulton’s replacement, has called for the abolition of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency."

<h4>Candidate for Congress calls for abolition of ICE</h4>

SALEM — Dan Koh kept his family close all night — his 5- and 3-year-old children, his immigrant father, named again and again as the reason he was in the race. Then Jamie Belsito decided his money was fair game too, and a debate that had run on near-total agreement finally cracked open.For most of the 90 minutes Wednesday at Salem State University, the six Democrats competing to succeed U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton had echoed one another on nearly everything. The break came over campaign cash.Most people, Belsito said, do not have “access to the wealth that you do” — and the room turned with her.“For you to call out my family in this debate is something that is way past the line,” Koh said.Belsito did not retreat. “Your father’s got a phenomenal job,” she told him.Mariah Lancaster cut in. “Why do you talk about your kids on this stage?” she asked.Koh, who had invoked his children all evening, said only that he was “proud to be a father.”The forum was hosted by the Frederick E. Berry Institute of Politics and drew the full Democratic field to one stage for the second time since Moulton announced he would give up the North Shore seat to challenge Sen. Edward Markey in the Sept. 1 primary. In a district the Cook Political Report rates as 11 points more Democratic than the national average, that primary will almost certainly decide who goes to Congress; the winner meets Republican Micah Jones on Nov. 3. Former U.S. Rep. John Tierney, who has endorsed Koh, watched from the audience.The argument over money sat atop a lopsided ledger. Federal filings through March 31 show Koh, an Andover native and former aide in President Joe Biden’s White House, raised about $3.5 million, more than anyone in the race, with roughly $3 million still in the bank and a list of endorsements he recited onstage — Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris and, he said, “over 70 unions and local elected officials.” John Beccia, a fintech executive from Lynnfield, has loaned his own campaign nearly $2 million. The rest are running on far less: state Rep. Tram Nguyen reported about $431,000; Lancaster about $207,000; Belsito $134,000 and a $25,000 personal loan; and Bethany Andres-Beck, a Middleton software engineer who entered the race first and has spent most aggressively, just $9,535 on hand.Beccia, who said he was “betting on myself,” brushed off the attack on self-funding. “You can’t buy an election,” he said, leaning on his banking background and his “People Over Politics” pitch.Belsito, the daughter of a union floor layer, was unmoved. She called the contest, at bottom, “class warfare,” and told the audience to look at “what’s going into people’s campaign accounts.”<h5>Candidates split over governing with a slim majority</h5>The candidates drew real blood over a quieter question: how to govern if Democrats retake Congress. Koh argued for ambition without apology. “You don’t need a single Republican vote to pass,” he said.Nguyen, the only state legislator on the stage, disagreed from experience. Even a slim majority, she said, would force Democrats to “work with people across the aisle,” noting she had passed “13 bills in a bipartisan way” across eight years in the Massachusetts House.Lancaster, who worked at the State Department and as a congressional aide, went further. “I disagree fundamentally,” she said. Passing anything on climate or coastal resilience would take Republican votes in the Senate, and pretending otherwise was “ignorant, and I’m sorry, but it’s true.”Andres-Beck turned the same doubt on Beccia, who in one breath had called for reform and cross-party cooperation. “I don’t understand how you can call for revolution on the one hand and then say you expect to do bipartisan cooperation with people currently in power on the other,” they said.For all the friction, the policy daylight was thin. Asked in a lightning round whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, should be abolished, all six said yes. All backed universal health care, though Beccia and Nguyen paired it with a public option. All supported student-loan forgiveness — Lancaster noting her own debt had grown by $70,000 over nine years. Only Belsito declined to support expanding the Supreme Court.None would raise the Social Security retirement age. Andres-Beck’s answer was “absolutely not. AI should pay for it.”<h5>Affordability runs under it all</h5>Affordability ran under everything. Nguyen described her mother, retired on about $1,000 a month, watching her health-insurance premium climb to $235 — close to a quarter of her income.Koh conceded his own party had no clear answer. “What is our affordability agenda? I wish I knew,” he said. He pitched what he called a “no more agenda”: $10-a-day child care, $25,000 in down-payment help, and caps on what families pay for rent and utilities, a package he said would save a typical district resident $23,000 a year, paid for by reversing tax cuts he attributed to Elon Musk. He said the administration had cut 40% of the federal affordable-housing budget, though he did not give the dollar total the figure came from.Beccia put the cost of the president’s tariffs at $1,700 a year for the average family.Housing exposed a sharper split in approach. Belsito called for rent control and pointed to new apartments near the Salem State campus renting at about $3,500, with little built for anyone priced out; her own teenagers, 13 and 16, were already eyeing cheaper homes in North Carolina.Andres-Beck was blunt about her rivals’ fixes. “I’m struck by how many of the proposed solutions would make the problem worse,” they said. “People are saying that capitalism is the problem, and then telling you they’re going to do more capitalism, and it’s magically going to fix it.”<h5>Rivals vie to claim the working class</h5>Underneath the policy was a contest over who could claim the working class.Nguyen, who came to the United States as a refugee from Vietnam with $100 to the family’s name and grew up in public housing, her father a political prisoner for eight years, called herself “the only legislator in this race.”Beccia ran on a working-class childhood and the company he built; Belsito on a maternal-health nonprofit she said pushed $25 million through Congress and into a Republican president’s budget; Andres-Beck on years writing software, including for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign.Even artificial intelligence, which all six said Congress should regulate harder, split along the same biographical line. Beccia, who helped build the cryptocurrency firm Circle, said AI would make crypto look like child’s play; Lancaster pressed him on money laundering. Andres-Beck, the software engineer, warned that badly written regulation only opens a door for corruption. Koh steered the question back to children — one in three young people, he said, were turning to chatbots in place of a person, and the apps had, by repeated reporting, handed children dangerous advice.The last question asked each candidate for a role model. Beccia named his father, once a selectman. Belsito named state Sen. Joan Lovely, who was sitting in the room. Koh named Marty Walsh, the former Boston mayor he had served as chief of staff. His rivals had spent the night making his money the line between him and the families everyone wanted to claim; given the last word, he reached for the patron who had built his career.They agreed on the policy and on the enemy. One question the night kept circling and never closed: in a field this aligned, who gets to claim the working families all of them want to represent. Lancaster, the Salem veterinarian, had put it most plainly hours earlier. Democrats, she said, should be “sending working people to Washington.” The candidates could not settle it in 90 minutes. The voters will on Sept. 1.<a href="https://www.marbleheadindependent.com/six-way-democratic-debate-for-moultons-seat-turns-on-money/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Full article here</a>

"Lancaster, the Salem veterinarian, had put it most plainly hours earlier. Democrats, she said, should be “sending working people to Washington.” The candidates could not settle it in 90 minutes."

<h4>Six-way Democratic debate for Moulton’s seat turns on money</h4>

“No family should go into debt when facing illness. No shareholder gets a vote in your healthcare.” –Mariah As an emergency veterinarian, I have guided families through the impossible choice between affording care and paying rent. They have seen firsthand how private equity is buying essential services, inflating prices, and taking advantage of desperate families. The same is true across the entire healthcare system — the only solution is structural reform:<ul><li>Enact Medicare for All with universal, single-payer coverage</li><li>Expand Medicare to include comprehensive dental, vision, and hearing care</li><li>Wipe out all medical debt</li><li>Codify Reproductive Rights:<ul><li>Write abortion rights and birth control into federal law </li><li>Repeal the Hyde Amendment</li><li>Ban pregnancy crisis centers that spread medical disinformation</li></ul></li><li>Federally protect gender-affirming care</li><li>Expand teen mental healthcare</li><li>Invest in overdose prevention centers to humanely address the opioid crisis</li><li>Invest in emergency services:<ul><li>Federally fund non-profit and municipal ambulance services</li><li>Amend the No Surprises Act to include ground ambulances</li></ul></li><li>Eliminate prior authorization requirements and end all out-of-network billing</li><li>Allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices and prescription medication importation</li><li>Restore Medicaid and CHIP eligibility for immigrants; end exclusion of undocumented people from ACA marketplaces</li><li>Expand health savings accounts to include veterinary care</li></ul>

No family should go into debt when facing illness. No shareholder should ever have a vote in your care plan.As an emergency veterinarian, Mariah has guided families through the impossible choice between affording care and paying rent. They have seen firsthand how private equity is buying practices, inflating prices, and taking advantage of desperate families.

<h2>Universal Healthcare &amp; Reproductive Freedom</h2>

“Education should unlock opportunity, not shackle students into a lifetime of debt.” –Mariah Growing up in Massachusetts public schools, I thrived with reasonable accommodations that empowered me to graduate despite serious health challenges. Every student deserves that same level of care and opportunity to achieve their potential.Every child deserves a strong public education, regardless of their zip code. Massachusetts has gold-standard public schools — let's make that the national standard. To support our teachers and our students, we must:<ul><li>Invest in:<ul><li>Universal childcare</li><li>Free meals for all children</li><li>National minimum base-pay for teachers with increases for cost-of-living</li><li>Title I schools and equitable per-pupil spending, ending reliance on local property taxes</li><li>Nationwide free community college and adult literacy programs</li><li>Free state college and university for in-state students and subsidized public school tuitions and fees for all students</li></ul></li><li>Reform our Federal Student Loans, creating affordable, common sense repayment plans for past and future borrowers.<ul><li>Forgive all capitalized interest and federally subsidize all loans</li><li>Credit borrowers for past payments, applying credits to repayment of the original loan</li><li>Eliminate private servicing of federal student loans, requiring direct service by the Department of Education</li><li>Expand Public Service Loan Forgiveness to part-time workers, public service &amp; government contractors, and elected officials</li></ul></li><li>Fully fund the Department of Education, the Office of Civil Rights, and IDEA for special education</li><li>Repeal the Educational Choice for Children Act and phase out voucher programs that divert funds from public schools</li></ul>

A strong public education is the bedrock of a free democracy. Education should unlock opportunity, not shackle each generation into a lifetime of debt. Every child deserves a gold-standard public education, regardless of their zip code.

<h2>Equitable, Accessible, Affordable Education</h2>

"We cannot keep sending thoughts and prayers while we refuse to act. Gun violence is a public health crisis — and Congress has both the tools and the responsibility to address it." –Mariah The United States has the most guns per capita in the world. For too long, the gun lobby has blocked every common-sense reform, and we pay for it every single day. I will stand up to the NRA and work to pass the comprehensive measures necessary to keep our schools, houses of worship, and neighborhoods safe:<ul><li>Reinstate and expand the federal assault weapons ban<ul><li>Ban bump stocks and high-capacity magazines </li><li>Implement a buyback program with amnesty</li></ul></li><li>Require a license to purchase firearms</li><li>Repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act to restore gun manufacturer liability for violence inflicted using their products</li><li>Repeal the Dickey Amendment to resume CDC public health research on gun violence as a public health crisis</li><li>Remove military-grade weaponry from domestic federal agents and police forces</li><li>Ban deployment of military-grade weapons or drones against civilians on American soil outside of congressionally authorized war</li><li>End qualified immunity for law enforcement and ban no-knock warrants for all agencies receiving federal funding</li><li>Fund mental health professionals as embedded community resource teams within law enforcement units</li><li>Create a Division on Community Safety within HHS to fund health-centered, non-carceral public safety investments</li></ul>

The United States has the most guns per capita in the world, and we pay for it every single day. For too long, the gun lobby has blocked every common-sense reform. Mariah will stand up to the gun lobby and work to pass the comprehensive measures necessary to keep our schools, houses of worship, and neighborhoods safe

<h2>Prevent Gun Violence</h2>

GETTING IN — The race to succeed Rep. Seth Moulton is getting a little more crowded this year.Mariah Lancaster, a veterinarian who previously worked at the State Department and as a congressional aide, is joining the Democratic primary to fill the North Shore seat Moulton has held since 2015. Lancaster, a first-time candidate, is running because ”our systems are broken, and American families are struggling, not just here in Massachusetts, but across the whole country… and if we want to fix problems for working Americans, we have to send working Americans to Congress,” they told Playbook. Lancaster’s launch video is here. The 36-year-old Massachusetts native, who identifies as non-binary, worked for Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum and California Rep. Julia Brownley in Washington before moving back to Massachusetts and settling in Salem last year. “People are pissed. I'm pissed,” Lancaster said. “I think a lot of folks in D.C. want to believe that this is the same old, same old, that if we just ride out this storm, we'll get to the other side and return to politics as usual, and that is not the world that we're living in.” It’s a late entrance compared to the rest of field — which includes Bethany Andres-Beck, a software engineer who got in the race before Moulton announced his plans to run for the Senate; John Beccia, a lawyer and financial technology executive; former state Rep. Jamie Belsito; Moulton’s former chief of staff, Rick Jakious; Former Biden White House aide Dan Koh; and Andover state Rep. Tram Nguyen. But that’s emblematic of what sets them apart in the crowded race, Lancaster said. Save for Andres-Beck, most other candidates kicked off their campaigns within a couple of weeks of Moulton’s Senate campaign launch. “There's a reason for that, and it's because a lot of them have prior backing — whether it's generational wealth that they could just quickly roll out, or whether it's political alliances that were able to stand them up quickly,” said Lancaster, who has tapped Versus Media to mange TV and digital ads, Valkyrie Strategies to handle direct mail and Upswing Research to run the campaign’s polling. “[If] we actually want to represent average working Americans, an average working American cannot stand up a congressional campaign in two weeks. It takes time. … I've moved as quickly as a normal person can.”<a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/massachusetts-playbook/2026/01/05/another-candidate-enters-the-ma-06-race-00710464" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Full article here</a>

"Mariah Lancaster, a veterinarian who previously worked at the State Department and as a congressional aide, is joining the Democratic primary to fill the North Shore seat Moulton has held since 2015."

<h4>Another candidate enters the MA-06 race</h4>

Lancaster Calls for Abolishing ICE After Minneapolis KillingSALEM, MA — Congressional candidate Mariah Lancaster, a veterinarian and former State Department civil servant, is calling for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.In a video posted to social media, Lancaster accused ICE of bringing “violence and chaos” into communities and said the agency should be dismantled.“This is why ICE must be abolished,” Lancaster said, arguing that the Department of Homeland Security is duplicative and that ICE has become a “rogue agency.”Lancaster said agents involved in Good’s death must be held accountable and fully prosecuted, adding that the killing of American citizens cannot be ignored. The statement marks one of the strongest policy positions taken so far in the Democratic primary, further distinguishing Lancaster from other candidates in the field.Lancaster, who lives in Salem, previously worked as a foreign affairs officer at the State Department and as a congressional staffer, and has framed their campaign around affordability, healthcare access, and structural reforms to federal government institutions.<a href="https://andovermanews.com/election-2026-notebook-positions-and-endorsements-shape-ma-6-race/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Full article here</a>

"Congressional candidate Mariah Lancaster, a veterinarian and former State Department civil servant, is calling for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis."

<h4>Election 2026 Notebook: Positions and Endorsements Shape MA-6 Race</h4>

The six Democratic candidates seeking to replace U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton faced off at a debate Wednesday night, sharing their plans to address the national economy, foreign policy, corruption in government and more.Moulton, D-6th District, announced last year that he would be challenging U.S.Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., for the seat Markey has held since 2013, leaving his own office open. The district includes most of Essex County and parts of northern Middlesex County.The winner of the Sept. 1 Democratic primary will go on to the November general election. Only one Republican candidate, Micah Jones, is currently running to represent the 6th District.Though the discussion at Salem State University covered a wide range of topics, it frequently returned to the issue of affordability.Mariah Lancaster, a former State Department and U.S. House of Representatives staffer, said the government needed to tackle corporations to stop prices of basic necessities from rising.Lancaster, who uses they/them pronouns, said if elected, they would like to work on antitrust legislation and breaking up monopolies.“Companies ... are destroying our economy by consuming every ounce of dollars that they can get into, whether it’s by dynamically pricing at grocery stores or making sure that they’re tracking whether or not you had a death in the family so they can raise the price of your airline tickets,” Lancaster said. “All of these are things that companies are doing because they have gotten too big by consuming each other.”<a href="https://www.masslive.com/politics/2026/06/affordability-dominates-debate-for-open-mass-6th-district-seat.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Full article here</a>

"Mariah Lancaster, a former State Department and U.S. House of Representatives staffer, said the government needed to tackle corporations to stop prices of basic necessities from rising."

<h4>Affordability dominates debate for open Mass. 6th District seat</h4>

Money in politics is eroding the fabric of our democracy, serving the wealthy and abandoning working families.As your Representative, I'll prioritize our communities over special interests, reject corporate PAC money, and slam shut every loophole allowing billionaires to rig the rules in their favor.To combat corruption and establish a functional democracy, I will vote to:<ul><li>Impeach and prosecute Trump and his allies</li><li>Ban Congressional stock trading</li><li>Overturn Citizens United &amp; ban corporate political spending</li><li>Restore the integrity of our federal agencies, including an independent Department of Justice</li><li>Pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, ending partisan gerrymandering and restoring voting rights</li><li>Codify early and mail-in voting</li><li>Require federal elected officials to disclose and divest all financial conflicts of interest</li><li>Close tax loopholes and strengthen IRS enforcement against billionaire tax evasion</li><li>Abolish the electoral college</li><li>Publicly fund local, state, and federal elections</li><li>Pass Ranked Choice Voting nationwide</li><li>Limit campaigns to six months before Election Day</li><li>Make Election Day a federal holiday</li></ul>

Money in politics is eroding the fabric of our democracy, with corruption standing directly in the way of progress for working families.Mariah won’t bow to special interests, will never accept corporate PAC money, and will fight every day to slam shut the loopholes that let billionaires rig the rules in their favor.

<h2>Combat Corruption</h2>

Join Team Mariah for the North Shore Pride Parade &amp; Festival! We will be walking in the parade and would love for you to join us!

<h4>North Shore Pride! (Walk With Team Mariah)</h4>

North Shore Pride

Salem veterinarian Mariah Lancaster and Moulton Chief of Staff Rick Jakious, of Swampscott, recently joined the crowded field.SALEM, MA — Two North Shore candidates recently joined a crowded field to replace U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton on Capitol Hill as the sitting Congressman challenges Sen. Ed Markey in the Democratic primary this year.Moulton Chief of Staff Rick Jakious, of Swampscott, and Salem veterinarian and former State Department employee Mariah Lancaster are now among the seven declared candidates, with the majority representing the Merrimack Valley region of the district.Lancaster, who has also served as a foreign affairs officer at the State Department, said she is running "to fight for Massachusetts and our democracy" at a time when she said "the Trump administration has begun gutting our government, kidnapping our friends and neighbors, and selling off our country to the highest bidder.""Across the country, families are struggling to survive and Washington is failing them," she said. "Republicans are dismantling generations of progress, jacking up healthcare costs, and revoking critical funding for the North Shore's energy security."To restore the American middle class, Democrats must realign their priorities to serve this generation of working families. We start by electing representatives who truly understand the fight we're in."Lancaster called for the abolition of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in the wake of the fatal shooting of a Minnesota mother last week."In my career as a civil servant at the State Department and through my work on Capitol Hill, I saw firsthand that the Department of Homeland Security is duplicative and a waste of tax dollars," she said in a statement to Patch. "The product of a misguided national security policy implemented over 20 years ago, ICE is an outright rogue agency — victimizing our communities, tearing families apart, and murdering Americans. The agents responsible for killing Renee Good must be held accountable and fully prosecuted."No one is above the law."<a href="https://patch.com/massachusetts/salem/salem-swampscott-candidates-join-race-open-u-s-house-seat" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Full article here</a>

"Lancaster, who has also served as a foreign affairs officer at the State Department, said she is running "to fight for Massachusetts and our democracy" at a time when she said "the Trump administration has begun gutting our government, kidnapping our friends and neighbors, and selling off our country to the highest bidder.""

<h4>Salem, Swampscott Candidates Join Race For Open U.S. House Seat</h4>

More than a decade ago, voters on Massachusetts’ North Shore picked a change agent over the consummate insider for Congress. This year, they’re facing a similar choice — and their decision could reveal how voters are feeling about the future of the Democratic Party.Eight Democrats have launched bids to replace Representative Seth Moulton after he gave up a safe blue House seat to mount a run against Senator Ed Markey. The Sixth Congressional District primary field features a mix of longtime political animals, including a White House alum and current and former state representatives, as well as an array of first-time candidates.Other candidates cast the race as a chance for Democrats to map a different path after the party’s 2024 losses. To Mariah Lancaster, a 36-year-old veterinarian and former congressional aide emphasizing their science background, voters want leaders who “represent a new future for the party.”“It is very easy in races like this to think money is everything. While it is valuable and important to be able to communicate with voters, it’s unrealistic to try to compete dollar to dollar with someone like Dan Koh,” said Lancaster, who launched their campaign in January. “But you don’t have to outraise him to win.”<a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/03/20/metro/massachusetts-congress-sixth-district-democrat-primary/?event=event12" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Full article here</a>

"Other candidates cast the race as a chance for Democrats to map a different path after the party’s 2024 losses. To Mariah Lancaster, a 36-year-old veterinarian and former congressional aide emphasizing their science background, voters want leaders who “represent a new future for the party.”"

<h4>MA-06 District primary tests the type of Democrat voters want in Congress — and to take on Trump</h4>

<h4>Door Knock With Us</h4>

Door Knock With Us

“The affordability crisis isn't an accident: it's the result of corporate monopolies, stagnant wages, and decades of policies that put profits over people. Congress must act now.” –Mariah Housing is the biggest monthly expense for most families, and corporate landlords are driving rents skyhigh while the cost of groceries, utilities, and healthcare keep climbing. I will address the root causes: corporate monopoly power, corrupt private interests, and a tax code rigged to benefit billionaries. To bring down costs, we must:<ul><li>Enforce Anti-trust Law and End Monopolies </li><li>Invest in affordable housing, fully fund Section 8 vouchers, and repeal the Faircloth Amendment to expand public housing</li><li>Require private equity and hedge funds to divest from single-family homes</li><li>Make rent tax-deductible and establish tax-free savings accounts for first-time buyers </li><li>Break up big agriculture and use our federal dollars to support family farms</li><li>Ban dynamic pricing for groceries, concert tickets, and airfare, and require all in-store items to have a physical price tag</li><li>Raise the Federal Minimum Wage to at least $25/hour, indexed to inflation and cost of living, and eliminate subminimum wages for tipped workers and workers with disabilities</li><li>Cap childcare costs at 7% of family income, invest in Universal Childcare, and increase FSA/HSA limits for dependent care</li><li>Pass a graduated wealth tax &amp; raise the marginal tax rate on income &gt;$100 million</li><li>Federally Legalize Marijuana and reinvest tax revenue in communities harmed by the “War on Drugs”</li></ul>

Housing is the biggest monthly expense for most families, and corporate landlords are driving rents into the stratosphere while the cost of groceries, utilities, and healthcare keeps climbing. Mariah will take on the root causes: corporate monopoly power, dark money, and a tax code rigged to benefit the ultra-wealthy.

<h2>Keep Money in Our Pockets</h2>

BEDFORD, MA — Congressional candidate Mariah Lancaster joined six other Democratic contenders at a candidate forum hosted by the Bedford and Billerica Democratic Town Committees, where candidates discussed healthcare, immigration, foreign policy, and economic issues shaping the Sixth District race.Lancaster, a Salem veterinarian and former State Department foreign affairs officer, emphasized the need for healthcare systems that prioritize patients over profit and highlighted generational economic pressures facing families and seniors.During the forum, Lancaster also criticized recent U.S. military action involving Iran and argued that Congress must reassert its constitutional authority over decisions of war and peace.The event brought together a crowded Democratic field competing to replace Rep. Seth Moulton, who is running for U.S. Senate, and served as one of the first major public forums where candidates debated policy priorities and contrasted their approaches to national and local issues.<a href="https://swampscotttides.org/news/seven-democrats-clash-over-health-care-immigration-and-iran-in-race-to-replace-seth-moulton-in-massachusetts-6th-district/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Full article here</a>

"Lancaster said that the Democratic party can’t have “any value in compromising an inch of the Democratic agenda or going a step closer to the center on any of the things we know we need to get done.”"

<h4>Seven Democrats Clash Over Health Care, Immigration and Iran in Race to Replace Seth Moulton in Massachusetts’ 6th District</h4>

The 6th Congressional District Democratic candidates responded to a question from the Swampscott Tides, noting the importance of working with local leaders to ensure local implementation of federal regulations and support.The 6th District’s congressional <a href="https://swampscotttides.org/news/moulton-makes-case-for-senate-bid-at-packed-salem-brewery-event/">seat is up for grabs</a> after <a href="https://swampscotttides.org/news/meet-your-elected-official-seth-moulton/">Rep. Seth Moulton</a> (D-MA) announced he <a href="https://swampscotttides.org/news/rep-seth-moulton-launches-senate-bid-challenging-sen-ed-markey/">would challenge Sen. Edward Markey</a> in the Democratic primary ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The field includes six Democrats — Bethany Andres-Beck, John Beccia, Jamie Belsito, Dan Koh, Mariah Lancaster and Tram Nguyen — along with Republican Micah Jones.Koh was the <a href="https://swampscotttides.org/news/dan-koh-first-to-qualify-for-ma-6-ballot/">first to acquire 2,000 signatures</a>, with <a href="https://swampscotttides.org/news/tram-nguyen-files-2000-signatures-secures-spot-in-crowded-6th-district-congressional-race/">Nguyen securing her spot</a> at the end of April and <a href="https://swampscotttides.org/news/belsito-secures-ballot-spot-in-crowded-6th-district-race-with-grassroots-push/">both Belsito </a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://swampscotttides.org/news/mariah-lancaster-secures-ballot-spot-in-crowded-6th-district-primary-race/">Lancaster making the ballot </a>last week. Swampscott resident <a href="https://swampscotttides.org/news/swampscotts-rick-jakious-ends-campaign-for-congress-cites-fundraising-barriers/">Rick Jakious recently announced he was no longer </a>running for the position.&nbsp;The Swampscott Tides’ question was posed during Thursday’s debate.&nbsp;“As the public health professional in this race, public health especially is near and dear to me, but it is just one piece of the many pieces of infrastructure whether we’re talking local, state, that needs deeper investments,” Mariah Lancaster said. “There’s a couple different approaches to this that all need to work together. One, obviously, is the actual funding for programs…(freshman representatives) need to network with other members of the House and you need to all start advocating for each other’s projects as well. Collaboration and community building amongst the representatives is a really big way to actually bring the priorities that we need for the district home.”The CandidatesLancaster is a veterinarian, who previously worked as a congressional aide. Lancaster also served as a foreign affairs officer at the State Department, working against environmental crime and corruption. When Republicans took over Congress, Lancaster moved into non-profit government affairs work. Lancaster recently called for the abolition of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), following the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis. The 36-year-old candidate identifies as non-binary.“I’m running for Congress because in order to represent working people, we have to send working people to Washington,” Lancaster said. “I spent the pandemic as an essential employee, working in veterinarian hospitals, helping families in times of crisis. 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.”The DebateThe Swampscott, Nahant and Marblehead Democratic Town Committees hosted the candidate forum on Thursday, May 7 at the Swampscott High School.&nbsp;James Peterson, the co-vice chair of the Swampscott Democratic Town Committee, moderated the event.The Marblehead Current asked the candidates about Moulton and what he could have done better.&nbsp;Lancaster noted that Moulton “chose his people very wisely and built the team around him that could do the work.”The Lynn Item asked candidates about concerns on whether Congress’ influence is diminishing.Lancaster talked about coalition building and how a freshman member of Congress needs partnerships.&nbsp;<a href="https://swampscotttides.org/news/democratic-candidates-outline-visions-for-federal-funding-local-needs-in-6th-district-race/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Full article here</a>

"Lancaster talked about coalition building and how a freshman member of Congress needs partnerships."

<h4>Democratic Candidates Outline Visions for Federal Funding, Local Needs in 6th District Race</h4>

“Clean energy is the future of American prosperity and the only path to our planet's survival.” – Mariah Americans are tired of rising gas prices and endless war over oil. While Trump is spending billions to end clean energy projects, raising utility costs and killing jobs on the North Shore, I will champion a clean energy transition that lowers our bills, invests in local jobs, and secures an energy independent future for the entire nation. To invest in and sustain a clean energy revolution, we must:<ul><li>Expand clean energy tax credits and restore the Inflation Reduction Act</li><li>Onshore manufacturing of clean energy technologies</li><li>Electrify our public transit and achieve 100% clean energy by 2040</li><li>Ban oil and gas leases on all federal lands and waters, and end federal oil subsidies</li><li>Implement Extended Producer Responsibility and expand Corporate Polluter Responsibility</li><li>Ban data centers pending strict federal regulations:<ul><li>Require public publication of energy and water usage data</li><li>Prioritize consumer energy use</li><li>Set premium rates of pay for energy consumption </li><li>Require renewable energy use and advanced cooling methodologies</li><li>Protect our water sources and our environment</li></ul></li></ul>

As Trump tries to kill clean energy projects, raising utility costs and eliminating great jobs on the North Shore, Mariah will champion a clean energy transition that lowers our energy bills, creates jobs, and secures an energy independent future for the entire nation.

To the editor: I served as a diplomat for nearly three decades and I’m proud to be supporting Dr. Mariah Lancaster for Congress.As U.S. Foreign Service officers, my colleagues and I kept America safe and promoted stability around the world. We strengthened thoughtful immigration and border security policies, advanced trade negotiations, and supported post-conflict stabilization.The reality is we cannot isolate ourselves from the world’s challenges. Global events shape the everyday lives of American families. Our engagement with the world should ensure that the economic benefits of trade are shared broadly, create opportunity, and bring millions of people into the middle class.Dr. Lancaster understands how deeply connected global challenges are to the daily struggles Americans face. They recognize that effective leadership means building a bridge between the issues affecting families in our communities and the realities shaping our interconnected world.In a time where our nation desperately needs public servants to uphold their oath of office, Dr. Lancaster has already proven they will do just that. They have demonstrated a career of service, from their work as an emergency veterinarian, helping hardworking families navigate impossible choices, to their own service in the State Department, protecting our environment while combating corruption and crime around the globe, and as legislative staff in the U.S. House of Representatives. Dr. Lancaster has my vote because they personally understand the lived realities facing North Shore families and has the policy expertise we need to give hardworking people a fair shot at a better life.Laurence Jones, Gloucester<a href="https://www.gloucestertimes.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letter-diplomat-backs-lancaster-for-congress/article_c8e7fb56-4c34-489e-912d-6ee8957ea1eb.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Full letter here</a>

"In a time where our nation desperately needs public servants to uphold their oath of office, Dr. Lancaster has already proven they will do just that."