Andres-Beck Announces Moulton Primary Challenge

Beth Andres-Beck, a transgender software engineer and Democratic activist, has announced a primary challenge against six-term Representative Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), accusing the congressman of surrendering to anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric following his controversial post-election comments about transgender athletes.

Moulton drew fierce backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates and Massachusetts Democrats after telling The New York Times that Democrats "spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone" and suggesting the party's support for transgender rights contributed to electoral losses. "I have two little girls, I don't want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat, I'm supposed to be afraid to say that," Moulton told columnist Maureen Dowd.

Andres-Beck, who identifies as agender, trans, and queer, argues that Moulton is "exactly wrong on the strategy piece" regarding transgender issues. "The problem people have with Democrats isn't that we have trans people in our coalition. It's that the Democrats in Washington are disconnected from ordinary Americans," Andres-Beck told The Boston Globe. "It feels like a lot of national Democrats want our vote, but they don't actually want to talk to us."

The challenger brings significant Democratic credentials, having worked as a software engineer on Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and supporting Elizabeth Warren's first Senate run. Currently serving on Middleton's Affordable Housing Trust and Master Plan Committee, Andres-Beck moved to Moulton's Sixth District in 2022.

Despite living in a town where 53 percent of voters supported Trump in 2024, Andres-Beck believes their visibility as a transgender person in the community demonstrates that "practical progress" doesn't require abandoning LGBTQ+ rights. They argue that America can achieve "functional healthcare, honest government, safe schools" while maintaining inclusive values.

Moulton's spokesperson noted the congressman recently fought against eliminating an LGBTQ+ crisis line and opposed GOP efforts to slash healthcare funding, stating he's "not focused on an election that is more than a year away."

The primary challenge represents a test of whether Democratic voters will reward or punish politicians who suggest scaling back support for transgender rights in response to Republican attacks.