Congressman Jake Auchincloss
Massachusetts-04, U.S. House of Representatives
- U.S. Marine Corps Veteran
- 2010-2015
- Afghanistan
Jake was born and raised in Massachusetts, the son of a surgeon and scientist. They taught him the values of curiosity, integrity, and service. He grew up in the Jewish faith tradition and attended the Newton Public Schools. His 2nd-grade teacher saw he loved to read and gave him books on United States history. He was hooked.
After graduating from Harvard College, Jake joined the Marines. He commanded infantry in Afghanistan and special operations in Panama. He’s now a major in the reserves.
In Afghanistan in 2012, Jake led patrols through villages contested by the Taliban. He saw firsthand the futility of the Forever Wars, and in Congress, he’ll help end them. Jake then joined the Marines’ elite reconnaissance branch. In Panama in 2014, his reconnaissance team trained local units to stop the drug trade. Dusting off his college Spanish, Jake worked with Panamanian and Colombian allies to lead a successful mission.
While stationed in the Canal Zone, Jake wrote for Harvard about urban planning in Panama City. When he returned home to Newton, Jake wanted to continue working at the local level. He won election to the Newton City Council in 2015, was re-elected in 2017, and topped the ticket in 2019. He resigned in 2020 after election to Congress.
Jake also worked on housing and transportation at Liberty Mutual’s innovation lab. His favorite project? Kickstarting development of insurance for cyclists and e-scooters. Before Liberty Mutual, Jake worked in cybersecurity and led the startup competition at MIT, where he has an MBA in Finance.
Jake lives in Newtonville with his wife, Michelle; their son, Teddy; and their Labrador Retriever, Donut. In his free time, he still loves to read American history.