Longtime Massachusetts Congressman Richard Neal has attracted a primary challenger. Neal, a Democrat like the rest of the delegation, represents the state’s westernmost district. It covers areas including the Berkshires, Springfield and Holyoke. And it’s Holyoke’s mayor, 30-year-old Alex Morse, who is looking to unseat Neal. He spoke with WGBH News’ Arun Rath. This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Arun Rath: I’ll start with the big picture question, because right away people are comparing this with Ayanna Pressley vs. Capuano last year. You’re 30 years old, Neal is 70. Do you fit into that kind of narrative of the old Democrat versus the new?
Mayor Alex Morse: Yeah. I think even though we’re in different districts, we’re fighting for a different kind of Washington — a Washington that actually serves the people that we represent. And there’s an urgency to this moment that I don’t think is matched by our current representative.
Rath: I hate to tick off aspects of your identity, but I believe you were the first openly gay mayor in Holyoke. Are there aspects of your youth and identity that are coming to bear in this decision to run now?
Morse: To some extent. I’m proud of my identity. I came out when I was 16, and it certainly shaped the way I view the world. I’m unapologetic about who I am and the values that I stand for.
Rath: In the statement announcing your campaign, you said that Congressman Neal has been 'largely silent on the issues that matter most.’ Can you run through some of the issues that you’re referring to?
Morse: Yeah. For folks all across western Massachusetts, healthcare is a huge concern, and right now we have a system that prioritizes profits and pharmaceutical companies over people and their health. And so I think it’s important to support a 'Medicare for All’ system. It’s about leveraging and providing resources and treating the opioid epidemic like the crisis that it is. People are dying in Springfield and across western Mass from this epidemic, and it certainly doesn’t discriminate.
We have Republicans and people all across this country making a full-on assault on women’s reproductive rights. We should have a member of Congress that is willing to stand up and let their values be known. And I think on climate change, we’ve tackled it on a smaller scale here in Holyoke, becoming a nearly carbon-neutral community, but we can’t protect ourselves from climate change at the border. And so it’s incredibly important that we have a member of Congress who is driven by these progressive principles but also interested in pursuing policies that will actually make a difference in people’s lives.
Rath: You mentioned some of the action about climate change. Could you talk about some of the other things you’ve done as mayor that you would point to in asking for people’s vote?
Morse: When I took office, only 49% of our high school students were graduating. Today, that number is over 72%. We’ve made the city the safest it’s been in decades. We’ve created a downtown that has embraced the creative community, our innovation district, and has spurred an entrepreneurial ecosystem where every day Holyokers have access and resources to start their own business and build wealth for themselves. So we’ve tried to build a Holyoke where the economy is sustainable and growing for everyone.
Rath: Neal is the state’s longest-serving congressman. He’s about as incumbent as an incumbent can get, in office for about 30 years. He easily won re-election last year, and he has millions of dollars of campaign money to spend. How difficult do you think it’s going to be to beat him?
Morse: This is certainly going to be a challenging campaign, but I think we’re going to build a grassroots movement throughout this district that hasn’t been seen in some time.
Rath: Neal is the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. He’s currently embroiled in a fight to get President Trump to turn over his tax returns. What would you say to people who would worry that trying to unseat Neal might hurt those efforts to hold President Trump accountable?
Morse: When you talk to everyday people here in Western Mass that are struggling to get access to healthcare or get a livable wage job, they’re not concerned about Ways and Means and the way it impacts their everyday life. They’ve been disappointed for years and years, things haven’t drastically changed. Congressman Neal knows how Washington works, but I want to change how it works. Yes, he has power, but when given the opportunity to wield that power, is he using it for special interests and the corporations that invest in his campaign, or is he actually exercising that power for places like Holyoke and Springfield and Franklin and Berkshire counties? That’s the fundamental question — power for who? I want to make sure that there is power for each and every person in the 1st Congressional District.
Rath: Mayor Morse, thank you very much.
Morse: Thank you.
Rath: That is Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, speaking with us about his bid to unseat Congressman Richard Neal in the state’s first district. Morse announced his campaign today. WGBH News did reach out to Neal’s campaign for comment. We received a statement that reads in part, “We are fortunate to live in a country where everyone can have his or her voice heard by running for office, and that’s why Congressman Neal will welcome anyone into this race.” This is WGBH’s All Things Considered.
