Alex Morse: “We're going up against the party and DC establishment”

Alex Morse is the current Mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts, and a progressive candidate running to be the Democratic nominee in Massachusetts’ 1st congressional district. At the age of 22, Alex Morse was elected the youngest mayor of Holyoke and is currently serving his fourth term as mayor. Morse is seeking to oust long serving Democratic incumbent, Representative Richard Neal – the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and one of the most powerful Democrats in DC. The primary election is set to take place on September 1st. Endorsing a Green New Deal, Medicare-for-All, legalization of marijuana and decriminalizing sex work, Morse’s campaign has received backing from progressive organisations such as Justice Democrats and the Sunrise Movement. What follows is an abridged version of an interview we conducted with Morse in his hometown of Holyoke back in February. The discussion centers around the challenges and imperatives of primarying entrenched incumbents to enact a substantive progressive policy agenda. openDemocracy is a small non-profit journalism outfit, not funded by dark money or lucrative sponsorship, so we depend on regular donations from our listeners. If you enjoyed this podcast and would like to donate, click here: http://bit.ly/3bb06Os