Jacob Daniel Auchincloss ( ; born January 29, 1988) is an American politician, businessman, and
Marine veteran serving as the U.S. representative for
Massachusetts's 4th congressional district since 2021. He is a member of the
Democratic Party.
Early life and education
Jacob Daniel Auchincloss was born in
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is approximately west of downtown Boston. Newton resembles a patchwork of thirteen villages, without a city center. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of ...
, to
Laurie Glimcher and
Hugh Auchincloss. Both of his parents are
physician-scientists; his mother is president and CEO of Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and his father serves as deputy director to
Anthony Fauci
Anthony Stephen Fauci (; born December 24, 1940) is an American physician-scientist and immunologist serving as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the chief medical advisor to the preside ...
at the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Auchincloss's grandfather
Melvin J. Glimcher pioneered the development of artificial limbs and was inducted into the
National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nat ...
and is the
first cousin once-removed
Most generally, in the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a cousin is a type of familial relationship in which two relatives are two or more familial generations away from their most recent common ancestor. Commonly, ...
of stockbroker
Hugh D. Auchincloss
Hugh Dudley Auchincloss Jr. (August 15, 1897 – November 20, 1976) was an American stockbroker and lawyer who became the second husband of Nina S. Gore, mother of Gore Vidal, and also the second husband of Janet Lee Bouvier, the mother of Firs ...
. His stepfather,
Gregory Petsko, is a biochemist and biotech entrepreneur who has become a global expert on
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As ...
. Auchincloss is matrilineally Jewish by descent and raised in his mother's faith.
Auchincloss was raised in Newton with his two siblings and attended
Newton North High School. He studied government and economics at
Harvard College
Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher ...
, graduating with honors, and earned an MBA in finance from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of th ...
.
Career
Military service
After graduating from
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...
, Auchincloss joined the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through c ...
, earning his commission through
Officer Candidates School in
Quantico, Virginia
Quantico ( or ; formerly Potomac) is a town in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 480 at the 2010 census. Quantico is approximately 35 miles southwest of Washington, DC, bordered by the Potomac River to the east ...
. He commanded infantry in
Helmand Province in 2012 and a reconnaissance unit in
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
in 2014. In Helmand, he led combat patrols through villages contested by the
Taliban
The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...
. In Panama, his team of reconnaissance Marines partnered with Colombian special operations to train the
Panamanian Public Forces in drug-interdiction tactics.
Auchincloss completed both infantry training in Quantico and the Marine Corps's reconnaissance training in
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, profiled in Nate Fick's ''
One Bullet Away
''One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer'' is an autobiography by Nathaniel Fick, published by Houghton-Mifflin in 2005. An account of Nathaniel Fick's time in the United States Marine Corps, it begins with his experiences at Officer ...
''. He graduated from the
Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape
Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) is a training program, best known by its military acronym, that prepares U.S. military personnel, U.S. Department of Defense civilians, and private military contractors to survive and "retu ...
(SERE) school in Maine and was an honor graduate from the Basic Airborne Course in Georgia. He continued to serve in the
Individual Ready Reserve after leaving active duty and was promoted to
major
Major ( commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicato ...
on September 1, 2020.
Local government
After returning home from the military, Auchincloss ran for Newton city council on a platform of full-day
kindergarten
Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...
and expanded
pre-K offerings. He was elected in 2015, defeating the incumbent councilor. He was reelected to the Newton city council in 2017 and 2019. He chaired the transportation and public safety committee.
In office, he supported progressive immigration and housing policies, sustainable transportation and co-docketed the successful
Sanctuary city
Sanctuary city (; ) refers to municipal jurisdictions, typically in North America, that limit their cooperation with the national government's effort to enforce immigration law. Leaders of sanctuary cities say they want to reduce fear of deport ...
ordinance.
In 2016, after students at Newton North High School displayed the
Confederate flag
The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War. The flags were known as the "Stars and Bars", used from 1861 to 1863; the "Stainless Banner", used from 1863 to 1865; and ...
, Auchincloss filed a resolution arguing against disciplining them, saying that the display was not a "substantial disruption" to the education of students of color.
When the Newton city council debated a pay raise for elected officials, Auchincloss voted no.
Auchincloss was the first elected official to endorse Ruthanne Fuller for mayor.
Business
While serving on the Newton City Council and attending MIT, Auchincloss was the director of the
MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition
The MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition is a student-managed business plan competition, where undergraduates and postgraduates from various programs and all levels at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) organize and enter the compe ...
. He also worked at a
cybersecurity startup as a product manager and at
Liberty Mutual as a senior manager at its innovation arm, Solaria Labs.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2020
On October 2, 2019, Auchincloss announced his candidacy for the open
Massachusetts's 4th congressional district to succeed
Joe Kennedy III, who
unsuccessfully ran for the Senate against incumbent Democrat
Ed Markey
Edward John Markey (born July 11, 1946) is an American lawyer, politician, and former Army reservist who has served as the junior United States senator from Massachusetts since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. represent ...
.
Auchincloss raised the most money during the primary election in both the fourth quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020 and earned endorsements from the
National Association of Government Employees
The National Association of Government Employees (NAGE) is a registered labor union with the United States Department of Labor representing approximately 43,000 members in the United States of America. NAGE represents a variety of workers includi ...
,
VoteVets
VoteVets.org is a political action committee (PAC) and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization in the United States.
The organization prioritizes American defense, national security, and veterans advocacy. It was co-founded in 2006 by Jon Soltz and ...
, ''
The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' and
James E. Timilty. He earned the support of several Newton politicians, including the president and vice president of the city council and the chair and vice chair of the school committee. He earned additional endorsements throughout the district, including from state representative
Paul Schmid of
Fall River
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 United States Census, making it the List of municipaliti ...
.
During the campaign, questions arose about his party affiliation. Auchincloss was originally a Democrat but was a registered Republican from 2013 to 2014 while working for
Charlie Baker's gubernatorial campaign. He continued to vote in Republican primaries as an independent until late 2015 before becoming a Democrat again.
The Democratic primary occurred on September 1, 2020. In a race with eight other candidates, Auchincloss won with 22.4% of the vote. It took the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...
three days to call the race because nearly one million votes were cast through mail-in ballots due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
In the November general election, Auchincloss defeated Republican nominee Julie Hall. He assumed office on January 3, 2021.
Tenure
On January 6, 2021, after the
2021 attack on the United States Capitol, Auchincloss tweeted his agreement with lawmakers' calls to remove President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
from office, either through the
Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Twenty-fifth Amendment (Amendment XXV) to the United States Constitution deals with presidential succession and disability.
It clarifies that the vice president becomes president if the president dies, resigns, or is removed from office, a ...
or
impeachment
Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements.
In ...
. Auchincloss voted to certify the results of the
2020 United States presidential election
The 2020 United States presidential election was the 59th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and the junior U.S. senator from California Kamala H ...
in the early morning of January 7, 2021. On January 21, he voted to approve the congressional waiver for
General Lloyd Austin,
President Joe Biden's nominee for
Secretary of Defense
A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in so ...
.
On June 16, 2022, seven people affiliated with the
Late Show with Stephen Colbert
''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second i ...
, including
Robert Smigel, were arrested by U.S. Capitol Police and charged with unlawful entry into the complex. According to a letter from
Jim Jordan
James Daniel Jordan (born February 17, 1964) is an American politician currently serving in his ninth term in the U.S. House of Representatives as the representative for since 2007.
A member of the Republican Party, he is a two-tim ...
and
Rodney Davis, the Colbert crew was let back into the building with the help of Auchincloss and
Adam Schiff
Adam Bennett Schiff (born June 22, 1960) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who has served as a U.S. representative since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, he has represented since 2013.
Schiff's district (numbered as the 2 ...
, leading to the unlawful entry charges. In a statement released by an Auchincloss spokesperson, Matt Corridoni said of the incident, "We do not condone any inappropriate activity and cannot speak to anything that occurred after hours."
Committee assignments
*
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives.
History
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure was formerly known as the Committee on Public Works a ...
**
Subcommittee on Highways & Transit
**
Subcommittee on Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation
**
Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
*
Committee on Financial Services
**
Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy
**
Subcommittee on Diversity & Inclusion
Caucus memberships
* Armenian Caucus
* Congressional Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations
*
Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus
The Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus was formed by openly gay representatives Tammy Baldwin and Barney Frank June 4, 2008, to advance LGBT+ rights. The caucus had 165 members (164 Democrats and one Republican, Jeff Van Drew) in the 11 ...
* Native American Caucus
* Portuguese American Caucus
* Pro-Choice Caucus
*
Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus
* ALS Caucus
* Autism Caucus
* Diabetes Caucus
* Friends of Australia Caucus
* Gun Violence Prevention Task Force
* HIV/AIDS Caucus
*
Electoral history
Personal life
On July 28, 2017, Auchincloss married Michelle Gattineri. They had a son in April 2020 and daughter in August 2021. They live in
Newtonville, Massachusetts.
See also
*
List of Jewish members of the United States Congress
This is a list of Jewish members of the United States Congress. , there are 10 Jewish senators and 27 Jewish members of the House of Representatives serving in the United States Congress.
Senate
Elected to the Senate, but not seated
House ...
References
External links
Representative Jake Auchinclossofficial U.S. House website
Jake Auchincloss for Congress*
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Auchincloss, Jake
1988 births
21st-century American politicians
Auchincloss family
Businesspeople from Massachusetts
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts
Harvard College alumni
Jewish American people in Massachusetts politics
Jewish members of the United States House of Representatives
Living people
Massachusetts city council members
Massachusetts Independents
Massachusetts Republicans
MIT Sloan School of Management alumni
Military personnel from Massachusetts
Politicians from Newton, Massachusetts