Seth Moulton

Early life, education, and commission

Seth Wilbur Moulton was born on October 24, 1978, in Salem, Massachusetts, the son of Lynn Alice (née Meader), a secretary, and Wilbur Thomas Moulton, Jr., a real estate attorney. Moulton grew up in Marblehead, Massachusetts, as the oldest of three siblings. He graduated from Phillips Academy Andover, a co-educational boarding and day university-preparatory school in Andover, Massachusetts in 1997, and attended Harvard University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in physics in 2001. He gave the Undergraduate English Oration at his commencement address, focusing on the importance of service.

Moulton joined the Marine Corps after graduation, a few months before the September 11 attacks, and attended the Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia. After graduating in 2002 with the rank of second lieutenant, Moulton was among the first service members to enter Baghdad at the beginning of the Iraq War.

Military career

During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Moulton led one of the first infantry platoons to enter Baghdad. He served a total of four tours of duty in Iraq from 2003 to 2008. Moulton took part in the 2003 Battle of Nasiriyah, leading a platoon that cleared a hostile stronghold. In that action, he went to the aid of a Marine wounded by friendly fire, and for his actions he was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for valor. Moulton was active in combat against insurgent forces in Iraq, including the 2004 Battle of Najaf against the militia of Muqtada al-Sadr. Over two days, he "fearlessly exposed himself to enemy fire" as his platoon was pinned down under heavy fire and then directed the supporting fire that repelled the attack. He received the Bronze Star Medal for his actions in this battle.

He told only his campaign manager, a former Marine, about these awards, keeping them secret even from his parents. When Boston Globe reporter Walter V. Robinson disclosed in October 2014 that Moulton had earned the Bronze Star and the Commendation Medal, Moulton said that "[t]here is a healthy disrespect among veterans who served on the front lines for people who walk around telling war stories". He said he was uncomfortable calling attention to his own awards out of respect to "many others who did heroic things and received no awards at all." He asked Robinson not to refer to him as a hero: "Look, we served our country, and we served the guys next to us. And it's not something to brag about." The Globe reported that "his voice choked with emotion" as he added: "The greatest honor of my life was to lead these men in my platoon, even though it was a war that I and they disagreed with."

In 2008, General David Petraeus requested Moulton's assignment to work as a special liaison with tribal leaders in Southern Iraq during his fourth tour of duty in Iraq. Following that tour, Moulton was discharged from the Marine Corps with the rank of captain.

Media contributions

In 2003, Moulton co-hosted a television program with his Iraqi interpreter, Mohammed Harba, called "Moulton and Mohammed," during which they discussed regional conditions in the period following the U.S. invasion before an audience of U.S. servicemen and Iraqi citizens. The show ended after three months when Moulton's unit left the area.

Between 2003 and 2008, Moulton was frequently interviewed about his experiences as an officer in Iraq by U.S. national media, including CNN, MSNBC, and NPR programs Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

Moulton was also prominently featured in the Academy Award-nominated 2007 documentary No End in Sight. In the film, Moulton criticized the U.S. government's handling of the occupation of Iraq. UCLA anthropology professor Sherry Ortner wrote that Moulton's comments "sum[med] up the emotional tone of the film."

Following his return from active duty with the Marines in 2008, Moulton attended a dual degree program at the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School, receiving master's degrees in business and public policy in 2011.

Private sector career

After graduate school, Moulton worked for one year as managing director of the Texas Central Railway, a transportation firm which is in the process of building a high-speed rail connection between Houston and Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas.

2012 speculation

Moulton had considered running against Democratic Representative John F. Tierney of Massachusetts's 6th congressional district as an Independent in the 2012 elections, but he decided against it in July 2012, saying that "the time and the logistics of putting together all the campaign infrastructure, organizing the volunteers ... the fundraising—it's just too much to accomplish in three months." Had he run and been elected, he would have caucused with the Democrats. He told Roll Call that his own polling "showed there was in fact a clear path to victory" and said he might run for office in the future.

2014 election

On July 8, 2013, Moulton announced his candidacy in the 2014 congressional race for Massachusetts' 6th district.

The race had been recognized for its competitiveness by national and regional media throughout the election cycle. Moulton challenged incumbent Congressman John Tierney in the Democratic primary. According to Time magazine political columnist Joe Klein, Moulton "has refused to distinguish himself from Tierney on most issues. He's running on freshness and dynamism." The Boston Globe editorial board wrote: "Moulton and Tierney share nearly identical political views, but Moulton's background, and his approach to discussing the issues, suggests an openness to new perspectives."

Tierney's campaign claimed in campaign advertisements that Moulton received campaign contributions from a New Hampshire political action committee that previously donated only to Republicans, implying that Moulton must hold conservative views. Moulton denied being more conservative than his opponent, and stated that the Republican PAC donation was returned. Public Federal Election Commission filings confirmed that the donation was returned in February 2014.

Moulton said that he personally opposed the Iraq War in which he served. A Tierney campaign staff member said that Moulton had "changed his mind" and highlighted Tierney's vote in Congress to oppose the 2002 resolution authorizing the U.S. Invasion of Iraq. Moulton also received the first-ever political endorsement from Ret. Gen. Stanley McChrystal during the campaign.

Moulton defeated Tierney in the primary, winning with 50.8% of the vote to Tierney's 40.1%.

Moulton was endorsed by Senator Elizabeth Warren for the general election. In October 2014, he withdrew from a debate sponsored by radio station WGBH because of a series of New York fundraisers, where he welcomed Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. The campaigns of Moulton and his Republican opponent, Richard Tisei, were held up as an example of how candidates can compete with respect for each other.

Moulton defeated Tisei in the general election.

2016 election

Moulton was uncontested for re-election in 2016.

2020 speculation

Moulton has been mentioned as a possible candidate for President.

Tenure

Moulton was sworn into the 114th United States Congress on January 3, 2015.

Moulton is one of five House members who has been "far more reliant on the financial world" to finance his 2016 election campaigns than most others running for a [House] seat, raising $255,799 from the securities and investment industry, with Goldman Sachs and Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway standing out.

Political views

In Moulton's campaign advertisements, he has referred to himself as a "progressive Democrat".

Moulton is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, which is a congressional caucus made up of Democrats who support an agenda that the organization describes as "moderate", "pro-growth", and "fiscally-responsible". Moulton was ranked as the 34th most bipartisan member of the U.S. House of Representatives during the 114th United States Congress (as well as the most bipartisan member of Congress in either chamber from Massachusetts and the most bipartisan member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New England) in the Bipartisan Index created by The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy that ranks members of the United States Congress by their degree of bipartisanship (by measuring the frequency each member's bills attract co-sponsors from the opposite party and each member's co-sponsorship of bills by members of the opposite party).

Views on marijuana

Seth Moulton has admitted to using marijuana and supports legalization stating, "If you're not buying your marijuana from a dealer who sells heroin, who sells opioids, it's much less likely to be a gateway drug," he said. "The problem is now that it operates in the shadows. There's no control whatsoever. Someone goes and buys an edible, for example, there's no regulation about what's in that. It's like moonshine under Prohibition."

Foreign policy

Moulton stated his opposition to sending U.S. troops back to Iraq in 2014.

Social issues

Moulton supports same-sex marriage and abortion rights. He supports increased gun control.

Transportation policy

Moulton is the driving force behind the North-South Rail Link, a project aimed at uniting Boston's north and south-side MBTA Commuter Rail lines, decongesting its subway lines, and linking the commuter rail to Logan International Airport via the Blue Line. He is an avid proponent of public transportation and frequently rides the commuter rail himself.

Economic policy

In March 2016, with regard to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Moulton said he needed to further analyze the proposal.

Energy policy

Moulton supports the expansion of nuclear energy.

Views on Donald Trump

In an interview with The Boston Globe in March 2016, Moulton compared the rise of the Republican presidential front runner, Donald Trump with Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1930s. Moulton said that, in order to understand how an educated society "can elect a demagogue," voters should read the history on how the German people elected Hitler in the early 20th century.

Gun policy

On June 15, 2016, Moulton appeared on the cover of the New York Daily News with the statement 'No Civilian Should Own This Gun' in reference to semi-automatic assault weapons. The cover pictures Moulton from his military service during a deployment to Iraq, carrying an issued M4 carbine. The gun in the picture has never been legal for civilians to own due to the "Hughes Amendment" in 1986.

Moulton penned an opinion piece promoting gun control, including the statement: "There’s simply no reason for a civilian to own a military-style assault weapon. It’s no different than why we outlaw civilian ownership of rockets and landmines."

Personal life

On June 23, 2017, Moulton announced on Twitter his engagement to his girlfriend, Liz Boardman, a senior client partner at an executive search firm.