Jamie Zahlaway Belsito

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Jamie Zahlaway Belsito

Democratic Party

Candidate, U.S. House Massachusetts District 6

Prior offices:

Massachusetts House of Representatives 4th Essex District

Years in office: 2021 - 2023

Predecessor: Bradford Hill (R)

Successor: Estela Reyes (D)

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 30, 2021

Next election

September 1, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

Salem State College

Personal

Birthplace

Winchester, MA

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Founder of the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance

Contact

Personal Facebook

Personal X

Personal YouTube

Personal LinkedIn

Jamie Zahlaway Belsito (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Massachusetts' 6th Congressional District. She declared candidacy for the Democratic primary scheduled on September 1, 2026.^[source]

Zahlaway Belsito (Democratic Party) was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing the 4th Essex District. She assumed office on December 8, 2021. She left office on January 4, 2023.

Biography

Jamie Belsito was born in Winchester, Massachusetts. She obtained a bachelor's degree from Salem State College. Her professional experience includes founding the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance and working as the principle of Effie's Grace LLC, as a trustee at Salem State University, and as a Spanish Flamenco dance instructor and performer.

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Elections

2026

See also: Massachusetts' 6th Congressional District election, 2026

General election

The primary will occur on September 1, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Massachusetts District 6

The following candidates are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Massachusetts District 6 on September 1, 2026.

		Candidate
		Beth Andres-Beck
	Submit photo	John Beccia
	Submit photo	Rick Jakious
		Dan Koh
		Mariah Lancaster
		Tram Nguyen
		Jamie Zahlaway Belsito

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Seth Moulton (D)

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Massachusetts District 6

John Field (R) is running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Massachusetts District 6 on September 1, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	John Field

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

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2022

See also: Massachusetts House of Representatives elections, 2022

Jamie Zahlaway Belsito did not file to run for re-election.

2021

See also: Massachusetts state legislative special elections, 2021

General election

Special general election for Massachusetts House of Representatives 4th Essex District

Jamie Zahlaway Belsito defeated Robert Snow in the special general election for Massachusetts House of Representatives 4th Essex District on November 30, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jamie Zahlaway Belsito (D)	55.4	2,504
	Submit photo	Robert Snow (R)	44.6	2,017

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,521
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 4th Essex District

Jamie Zahlaway Belsito defeated Darcyll Dale in the special Democratic primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 4th Essex District on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jamie Zahlaway Belsito	73.5	1,728
		Darcyll Dale	25.9	608
		Other/Write-in votes	0.6	14

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,350
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 4th Essex District

Robert Snow defeated Lisa-Marie Cashman in the special Republican primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 4th Essex District on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Robert Snow	57.0	836
	Submit photo	Lisa-Marie Cashman	42.7	626
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	4

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,466
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2020

See also: Massachusetts' 6th Congressional District election, 2020

Massachusetts' 6th Congressional District election, 2020 (September 1 Democratic primary)

Massachusetts' 6th Congressional District election, 2020 (September 1 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Massachusetts District 6

Incumbent Seth Moulton defeated John Paul Moran and Matthew Mixon in the general election for U.S. House Massachusetts District 6 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Seth Moulton (D)	65.4	286,377
		John Paul Moran (R)	34.4	150,695
		Matthew Mixon (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	0
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	605

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 437,677
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Massachusetts District 6

Incumbent Seth Moulton defeated Jamie Zahlaway Belsito and Angus McQuilken in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Massachusetts District 6 on September 1, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Seth Moulton	78.0	124,928
		Jamie Zahlaway Belsito	12.2	19,492
		Angus McQuilken	9.7	15,478
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	268

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 160,166
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Lisa Peterson (D)
• Nathaniel Mulcahy (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Massachusetts District 6

John Paul Moran advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Massachusetts District 6 on September 1, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Paul Moran	98.9	32,564
		Other/Write-in votes	1.1	375

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 32,939
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

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2021

Jamie Zahlaway Belsito did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Jamie Zahlaway Belsito completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Zahlaway Belsito's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Jamie Belsito has been fighting for progressive policies on issues from women's rights to increased educational opportunities to immigration reform and has been a consistent voice for the underrepresented her entire career. She has been a leader for Massachusetts' 6th Congressional District and will continue working to ensure that our families and communities are once again prioritized.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• A Voice for the Rest of Us, A Voice for All of US!
• 6th Over Self
• I seek one job and one job only- that is to be your Congresswoman!

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

COVID response.

Public education.
Re-building our economy.
Healthcare for All.
Environmental leadership.
Immigration reform.
Mental Health support and access to services.
Addressing the substance use epidemic.
Rebuilding our infrastructure.
Equal Rights.
Women's healthcare.
Supporting families.

Taking care of our seniors.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

All Politics Is Local- Tip O'Neill

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The ability to listen and keep the needs of the district as their focal point.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Tenacity, grit, follow through and collaboration.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To be a voice a the federal level for the people of your district, and connect federal resources and funding to your communities back home.

What legacy would you like to leave?

That I was able to help uplift our communities by rebuilding/reinvesting in our public schools, build affordable housing and refocus economic development, all centered in environmental, social and racial equity.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The ability to keep our government accountable for its actions/inactions.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe real life experience is integral to the job.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Protecting our democracy and taking care of our communities.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Energy and Commerce

Small Business
Judiciary

Education

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

How this pandemic has affected families, schools, municipalities, job loss, Main Streets, our hospitals and front line workers.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Jamie Zahlaway Belsito campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2026*	U.S. House Massachusetts District 6	Candidacy Declared primary	$77,024	$3,006
2021	Massachusetts House of Representatives 4th Essex District	Won general	$25,309	$0
2020	U.S. House Massachusetts District 6	Lost primary	$94,453	$94,453
Grand total			$196,786	$97,459
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Massachusetts

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Massachusetts scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

2022

In 2022, the Massachusetts State Legislature was in session from January 5 to August 1.

• Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance

Legislators are scored on bills of interest to an organization that pledges "to make government more transparent, make fiscally responsible choices, and to hold the line on taxes."

• Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Legislators are scored on their sponsorship of legislation related to animal issues.

• Progressive Massachusetts

Legislators are scored by the organization on votes that "can show the distinction between a progressive legislator, and everyone else."

• National Federation of Independent Business

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

2021

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show].

In 2021, the Massachusetts State Legislature was in session from January 6 to January 4. Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance Legislators are scored on bills of interest to an organization that pledges "to make government more transparent, make fiscally responsible choices, and to hold the line on taxes." Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Legislators are scored on their sponsorship of legislation related to animal issues. Progressive Massachusetts Legislators are scored by the organization on votes that "can show the distinction between a progressive legislator, and everyone else." The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

See also

2026 Elections

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Bradford Hill (R)	Massachusetts House of Representatives 4th Essex District 2021-2023	Succeeded by Estela Reyes (D)

[show]

Massachusetts' current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Edward Markey (D)

Elizabeth Warren (D)

Representatives

District 1

Richard Neal (D)

District 2

Jim McGovern (D)

District 3

Lori Trahan (D)

District 4

Jake Auchincloss (D)

District 5

Katherine Clark (D)

District 6

Seth Moulton (D)

District 7

Ayanna Pressley (D)

District 8

Stephen Lynch (D)

District 9

Bill Keating (D)

Democratic Party (11)