Dan Coe, a candidate for Congress in Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District, has removed several posts linked to Black Lives Matter (BLM) from his Twitter account, as confirmed by the Internet Archive tool Wayback.
These deleted posts, which have resurfaced amid his campaign, suggest that Coe is trying to distance himself from BLM while shifting focus to other aspects of “racial justice.”
On May 29, 2020, he had tweeted, “Justice for George Floyd.” In another post, he commented on a press conference regarding the riots in Minnesota, stating that the murder of George Floyd highlights “centuries of systemic racism” influencing the current context.
These posts were originally made in late May 2020 but have since been taken down.
Interestingly, Coe hasn’t backed away from promoting racial justice as part of his campaign, incorporating it into his platform on his website. He mentions the impacts of certain policies, stating that President Trump is targeting people of color through actions affecting housing, labor protections, and civil rights enforcement.
This topic of BLM has oftentimes created divides, bringing attention to the support for police alongside criticisms of racial bias in law enforcement, and has affected movements like “defund the police.”
Coe’s campaign has not clarified why the posts were removed or whether they contradict his current stance. However, a campaign representative did assert that Coe will advocate for racial representation if elected, highlighting his long-standing vocal support against racism.
Before entering the political arena, Coe held several senior positions in the Biden administration and served as chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Labor, and to Boston’s Mayor Marty Walsh.
Coe is vying for the seat currently held by retiring Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a position that has been reliably Democratic for many years, with Moulton previously winning an election by a significant margin.
As for Moulton, he is campaigning for a Senate seat in a primary against Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts.
The primary election in Massachusetts is set for September 1st, and if Coe secures the Democratic nomination, he’ll face Republican Micah Jones.
