Ex-Democrat reveals why he ditched party and is running as Republican in blue stronghold
Micah Jones, a former self-described JFK Democrat-turned-Republican, hopes to capitalize on a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity as he looks to flip Massachusetts' 6th Congressional District.
"The last time this seat was open was 47 years ago," Jones said.
"I think that Massachusetts suffers when we have a one-party congressional delegation that, in my opinion, is less inclined to work across the aisle than representatives of other states."
Jones’s campaign is a bet that the district’s independent voters — and maybe some Democrats — will see the benefit Massachusetts could reap from having even just one Republican representative. Coupled with the precedent of the occasional Republican success is the Bay State, Jones believes his race can beat past odds and help decide the balance of power in the House of Representatives.
Before running for Congress, Jones served in the military in the 82nd Airborne Division, deploying on a tour in Afghanistan from 2014 to 2015. Later, after going to law school, he became an attorney.
It was in law school that he began to have doubts about the Democratic Party's direction, describing a "shock" at its trajectory.
"This was back in 2016. That was kind of the incubator before everything that we've now dealt with the last few years in regards to more progressive ideologies," Jones recalled.
"In particular, when it came to support for law enforcement — this was during the defund the police movement. When it came to a worldview that tried to classify people between oppressors and oppressed, I felt that was fundamentally different than President Kennedy's vision. And at that point, I left the Democratic Party, became an independent."
Although Jones believes a portion of the state’s 63% registered independents may share that view, his pitch to them is more pragmatic.
He believes Massachusetts is missing out on Republican representation that can coordinate with the GOP administration and Congress.
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"Our two senators, our nine congressional members — none of them are Republicans. And I think that they have taken a resistance-only mindset," Jones said, referring to their posture toward the Trump administration.
"And so, I think that we lose out on significant federal funding, billions of dollars in federal funding. I could be the sole Republican on that delegation, to work with the administration when it makes sense, push back when it doesn't, call balls and strikes, really focus on what's best for not only my district, [and] advocate for Massachusetts as a whole."
When asked about the Republican label and why not just run as an independent, Jones said he believes he needs the party’s campaign infrastructure to meaningfully wage a campaign to flip the district.
"You do need a party apparatus. And I am a Republican. I would say I’m center-right, especially on fiscal issues," Jones said.
"The ‘R’ next to my name is going to be challenging. I fully acknowledge that. I do, however, think there is another 15% to 20% [of voters] that really are independents and really do care about candidate quality."
As evidence, Jones pointed to other Republicans who have run successfully in Massachusetts.
"People forget, Gov. Mitt Romney was governor of Massachusetts. You have Gov. Bill Weld; you have Gov. Charlie Baker. And so, I think that the Massachusetts Republican model is one to emulate and one that works very well here," Jones said.
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The district’s current occupant, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., announced he would pursue a Senate seat rather than re-election. He last won re-election in a 62.9% to 35.2% victory over Republican challenger Robert May Jr., a mechanical engineer.
Jones, who is running unopposed in the state’s Sept. 1 primaries, will likely advance to the general election on Nov. 3.