Seth Moulton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Seth Moulton
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Official portrait, 2015
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 6th district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | John F. Tierney |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Seth Wilbur Moulton
October 24, 1978 Salem, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Liz Boardman
(m. 2017) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Harvard University (BS, MBA, MPP) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 2001–2008 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 1st Battalion, 4th Marines |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War |
| Awards | Bronze Star (2) with valor Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with valor |
Seth Wilbur Moulton (born October 24, 1978) is an American politician. He is a former officer in the United States Marine Corps. Since 2015, he has served as the U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 6th congressional district.
Moulton is a member of the Democratic Party. His district includes many towns north of Boston, like Andover and his hometown of Salem.
After college, Moulton joined the Marines. He served four times in Iraq. Later, he earned two master's degrees from Harvard. In 2014, he was elected to Congress.
In 2019, Moulton ran for U.S. president. He traveled to different states to gain support. However, he did not get enough votes and stopped his campaign in August 2019.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Seth Moulton was born on October 24, 1978, in Salem, Massachusetts. His mother was a secretary and his father was a lawyer. He grew up in Marblehead, Massachusetts, with his two younger siblings.
He went to Phillips Academy and then Harvard College. In 2001, he earned a bachelor's degree in physics. At his graduation, he spoke about the importance of serving others.
A few months before the September 11 attacks, Moulton joined the Marine Corps. He trained at the Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia. In 2002, he became a second lieutenant.
Military Service
Moulton served four tours of duty in Iraq between 2003 and 2008. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, he led one of the first groups of soldiers into Baghdad.
He fought in the 2003 Battle of Nasiriyah. He helped a fellow Marine who was hurt. For his bravery, he received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.
Moulton also fought in the 2004 Battle of Najaf. He bravely faced enemy fire to help his team. He earned the Bronze Star Medal for his actions in this battle.
In 2008, during his last tour, General David Petraeus asked Moulton to work with local leaders in Southern Iraq. After this, Moulton left the Marine Corps as a captain.
Sharing His Experiences
From 2003 to 2008, Moulton often spoke about his time in Iraq. He was interviewed by news channels like CNN and NPR.
He also appeared in the 2007 documentary No End in Sight. In the film, he shared his thoughts on how the U.S. government handled the occupation of Iraq.
Career After the Military
After leaving the Marines in 2008, Moulton went back to Harvard. He earned master's degrees in business and public policy in 2011.
He then worked for a transportation company called Texas Central Railway. Later, he started his own healthcare company with a classmate.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2014 Election
In 2013, Seth Moulton announced he would run for Congress. He challenged the current representative, John F. Tierney, in the Democratic primary election.
Moulton won the primary with 50.8% of the votes. He then faced Republican Richard Tisei in the general election.
Senator Elizabeth Warren supported Moulton's campaign. Moulton won the general election with 55.0% of the votes.
Later Elections
Moulton was reelected in 2016 without an opponent. In 2018, he won against Joseph Schneider with 65.2% of the vote.
In 2020, he won his primary election with 78% of the vote. He then defeated Republican John Paul Moran with 65.4% of the vote.
In 2022, Moulton won reelection against Bob May with 62.9% of the vote. He won reelection again in 2024 without an opponent.
Time in Congress
Moulton became a member of the 114th United States Congress on January 3, 2015.
After the 2018 elections, Democrats gained control of the House. Moulton and some other members wanted new leadership. However, Nancy Pelosi was re-elected as the Speaker of the House. Moulton voted for her.
In August 2021, Moulton and another representative flew to Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan. This was during the evacuation of Americans and allies after the fall of Kabul. They said their visit was to help the government. However, some officials felt it caused distractions.
Committees and Groups
Moulton serves on important committees in the House:
- Committee on Armed Services: This committee deals with military matters.
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: This committee works on roads, railways, and water systems.
- Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party: This committee focuses on competition with China.
He is also part of several groups, called caucuses:
- Black Maternal Health Caucus
- New Democrat Coalition
- Blue Collar Caucus
- For Country Caucus
- Rare Disease Caucus
Serve America PAC
In 2017, Moulton started Serve America. This group helps elect people who have served their country, especially in the military. It helps candidates connect and get advice.
In 2018, Serve America helped Democrats win more seats in the House. The group raised a lot of money for the candidates it supported. Many of the candidates they backed won their elections.
Serve America continued to support candidates in 2020 and 2022. They helped elect new members of Congress and supported those already serving.
2020 U.S. Presidential Campaign
In early 2019, Moulton began preparing to run for president. He traveled to states like Iowa and New Hampshire. He officially announced his campaign on April 22, 2019.
During his campaign, Moulton criticized other candidates. He spoke about former Vice President Joe Biden's vote on the Iraq War. He also disagreed with Senator Bernie Sanders on socialism and Senator Elizabeth Warren on breaking up tech companies.
Moulton's campaign did not gain much support. He laid off staff in August 2019. On August 23, 2019, he ended his presidential campaign. He did not qualify for the presidential debates.
After he dropped out, then-President Donald Trump made a sarcastic comment about it on social media.
Political Views
Moulton describes himself as a "progressive Democrat" and a "pragmatic Democrat." He is part of the New Democrat Coalition, a group of Democrats who are seen as moderate and fiscally responsible.
He is known for working with members of both parties. He supports bills that have co-sponsors from both Democrats and Republicans.
Economy and Trade
Moulton believes it's important to prepare for how technology will change jobs. He supported raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.
He has also spoken about trade. He disagreed with President Trump's decision to leave the Trans-Pacific Partnership. He believes the U.S. should work on strong trade deals.
Foreign Policy
Moulton did not support sending U.S. troops back to Iraq in 2014. He supports strengthening NATO and keeping troops in Afghanistan for counter-terrorism.
He criticized President Joe Biden's withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. He helped create a law to help Afghans who supported the U.S. effort.
Social Issues
Moulton supports a woman's right to choose and same-sex marriage. He believes in legal immigration and wants to improve immigration laws. He has also supported laws to protect the rights of transgender people.
Mental Health
..... He also introduced the Brandon Act, which helps active duty service members get mental health care. Moulton has shared that he experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after his military service.
Cybersecurity
In 2018, Moulton supported a law to create training programs for cybersecurity jobs. This law helps people get skills for federal cybersecurity roles.
Voting Age
In 2023, Moulton supported an idea to change the Constitution of the United States. This change would allow citizens aged 16 and older to vote.
Energy and Environment
Moulton supports using more renewable energy sources. He also supports carbon pricing and stopping fossil fuel extraction on federal lands. He voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides funding for renewable energy. Moulton also supports nuclear energy and research into fusion power.
In 2018, Moulton supported the Green New Deal. He believes climate change is a national security threat. He also voted for a major conservation bill in 2019.
Views on Presidents
In 2016, Moulton compared the rise of Donald Trump to historical events where leaders gained power.
In 2020, Moulton walked out of President Trump's State of the Union address. He disagreed with Trump's comments about the military.
In July 2024, Moulton was one of the first members of Congress to ask President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election. He wrote an article explaining his concerns about President Biden's mental state.
Gun Policy
Moulton supports stricter gun control. He believes that civilians should not own military-style assault weapons. He has stated there is no reason for a civilian to own such a weapon.
Personal Life
Seth Moulton married Liz Boardman on September 22, 2017, in Marblehead, Massachusetts. They have two children, born in October 2018 and February 2021.
Images for kids
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Seth Moulton's signature
