Press & News
Neal and Whalen Race: What Is at Stake for Black Voters in Massachusetts’ First Congressional District
By: Metro Record Staff
SPRINGFIELD, Mass.
A Race that Could Redefine Representation in Western Massachusetts
Massachusetts’ First Congressional District is entering a pivotal election season. Longtime Democratic Representative Richard E. Neal, one of the most senior figures in Congress, faces an energetic challenge from educator and community advocate Jeromie Whalen, Ph.D.
The Democratic primary will take place on September 1, 2026, followed by the general election on November 3, 2026. For Black voters across Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, and Pittsfield, this race represents far more than a political contest—it is a choice about values, leadership, and accountability.
Richard Neal’s Record: Experience, Policy, and Growing Scrutiny
Representative Neal has held his congressional seat since 1989, developing a reputation as a pragmatic lawmaker who values bipartisanship and negotiation. As the Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Neal wields considerable power over national policy on taxes, healthcare, and social welfare.
Throughout his career, Neal has supported civil rights legislation, including votes for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the Equality Act, and efforts to restore the Voting Rights Act. He has consistently backed funding for programs that benefit working-class and minority families, including housing assistance, community development grants, and tax credits for low-income households.
Yet one recent vote has sparked debate and raised questions among Black voters about his political alignment. On September 19, 2025, Neal voted in favor of House Resolution 719, which honors conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The resolution, known as Roll Call 282, passed the House with 310 Yeas, 58 Nays, and 38 Present.
Kirk’s controversial statements on race, equity, and social movements have made him a polarizing figure. For some residents, Neal’s vote in favor of honoring Kirk represents a troubling signal of indifference to the racial and cultural concerns of his district. The move has been met with disappointment and confusion among progressives and civil rights advocates. (Further exploration required.)
Despite the criticism, Neal’s supporters emphasize his proven ability to secure federal funding for Western Massachusetts. Under his leadership, the district has benefited from infrastructure improvements, job creation initiatives, and healthcare investments. Many residents still view his experience and seniority as valuable assets in a divided Congress.
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Jeromie Whalen’s Platform: Progressive Vision and Grassroots Energy
Dr. Jeromie Whalen, a lifelong educator and public-school advocate, has positioned himself as a progressive reformer determined to challenge establishment politics. His campaign focuses on grassroots participation, racial equity, and policies designed to address economic and educational disparities.
Whalen’s policy priorities include:
Education Equity: Expanding federal investment in public education, raising teacher pay, and closing racial achievement gaps.
Healthcare for All: Supporting Medicare for All and guaranteeing access to mental health care in every community.
Economic Justice: Advancing rent control, protecting workers’ rights, and supporting small business development in underfunded neighborhoods.
Immigration Reform: Promoting fair and humane immigration policies that keep families together.
Community Accountability: Expanding participatory budgeting and giving residents direct input into how public funds are spent.
Whalen’s campaign message centers on transformation, not tradition. He calls for a government that listens more closely to its people and acts more boldly on issues of race, poverty, and equality.
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The Choice Before Black Voters
For Black voters in Western Massachusetts, this election poses a profound question about representation and progress.
Richard Neal represents institutional experience, seniority, and the ability to deliver tangible federal resources to the region. His career has produced measurable results in housing, healthcare, and job creation.
Jeromie Whalen, by contrast, offers a promise of transformation. He seeks to move beyond traditional political frameworks and empower communities directly through transparency, participatory decision-making, and racial equity policies.
This election will test whether voters value experience and access or authenticity and reform. For many, the choice may rest on whether Neal’s long record outweighs his controversial recent votes—or whether Whalen’s bold vision feels realistic and actionable.
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Symbolism and Accountability
Symbolism plays a powerful role in politics, particularly for communities that have fought for generations to be seen and heard. Congressman Neal’s vote in support of Charlie Kirk Day has reopened discussions about racial accountability within the Democratic Party.
Kirk’s history of opposing affirmative action and criticizing the Black Lives Matter movement makes the resolution honoring him deeply controversial. For Black voters, Neal’s support raises questions about whether political loyalty and seniority have replaced moral clarity in Democratic leadership.
In Springfield and surrounding communities, this vote has become more than a procedural record—it is a statement that resonates across neighborhoods where racial equity and respect are not abstract ideals but lived experiences.
SEO terms: Charlie Kirk Day House resolution, Black Lives Matter and Congress, racial justice Massachusetts politics, Democratic Party and Black voters
The Broader Context
The 2026 election cycle is unfolding during a time of intense economic pressure, growing polarization, and cultural fatigue. For many Black residents in Western Massachusetts, the key issues remain clear: affordable housing, education equity, small business support, and justice reform.
Neal’s pragmatic approach prioritizes stability through federal funding and long-term planning. Whalen’s vision prioritizes urgency, transparency, and generational change.
Both men speak to different instincts within the Democratic Party—one toward preservation and gradualism, the other toward transformation and empowerment. Which instinct prevails may define the future of the party’s relationship with communities of color across the Commonwealth.
SEO terms: Massachusetts Democratic Party, Black political leadership, racial equity in politics, Springfield MA news, 2026 primary election
The Metro Record’s Commitment to Continued Coverage
The Metro Record will continue to monitor developments in this race, including upcoming debates, campaign events, and policy statements. Our coverage will focus on the issues that matter most to voters in Western Massachusetts—economic opportunity, racial justice, education, and equitable representation.
We encourage readers to verify information, review public voting records, and attend local forums before making a decision. Political engagement is not only a civic duty but a declaration of collective power.
As the 2026 election approaches, the decisions made by Black voters in the First Congressional District will shape both the political direction of the region and the moral compass of its leadership.
Source: https://themetrorecord.com/2025/10/27/whalenversusneal/
Jeromie Whalen to challenge Rep. Richard Neal in 2026 race
By: Areta Odiah
CHICOPEE, Mass. - Congressman Richard Neal will face a new challenger in the 2026 Democratic Congressional primaries as South Hadley native Jeromie Whalen announces his candidacy.
Jeromie Whalen, a teacher from Northampton, is set to launch his campaign on September 6th, aiming to unseat the longtime 1st District Congressman Richard Neal. Whalen emphasizes his background as a public servant and his commitment to addressing the needs of Western Massachusetts.
“I’m a public servant, not a politician, and I see that as an opportunity in this moment,” Whalen stated, positioning his campaign as a ‘David and Goliath’ story.
Whalen has been a teacher for 11 years and grew up in Belchertown. He is passionate about serving the people of Western Massachusetts and believes his authenticity and relatability set him apart from other candidates.
Whalen is critical of Congressman Neal’s political entanglements, asserting that Neal’s corporate connections and old-school political affiliations have contributed to the district’s challenges.
Whalen’s campaign focuses on expanding the Department of Education, restoring funds to Springfield, and increasing pay for teachers. He also aims to put more money into the pockets of working and middle-class families.
In response to Whalen’s candidacy, Congressman Neal’s campaign issued a statement emphasizing Neal’s focus on holding Republicans accountable and taking back the House in 2026.
As Whalen prepares to launch his campaign, he plans to visit areas of the district he claims Neal has neglected and expresses eagerness to debate the incumbent Congressman. The race is set to highlight contrasting visions for the district’s future.
High School teacher Whalen challenging Neal in 2026 Democratic primary
By: Adam Frenier
Regional News - The Democratic primary is more than a year away, but a challenger has immerged [sic] to Springfield U.S. Rep. Richard Neal: Jeromie Whalen, a high school teacher who grew up in Belchertown and now lives in South Hadley.
Whalen teaches journalism and media arts at Northampton High School. He is taking this year off from the classroom to run for Congress. Whalen is a political newcomer who has lived in western Massachusetts for much of his life.
He said one reason he's running is because the Democratic party and the First Congressional District in Massachusetts needs new blood and new ideas.
"The current incumbent is 76-years-old," Whalen said. "I am half his age. I'm 38-years-old, I have a lot of energy, I've got a lot of fresh ideas."
Whalen called on House Democrats to embrace more progressive ideas and said the current strategy is not working, given the fact that President Donald Trump is now in his second administration.
Defeating Neal, who was first elected in 1988, would be a Herculean task for anyone, let alone a political newcomer. The incumbent has been popular at the ballot box dating back to his days as Springfield's mayor in the early 1980's. And that has not changed much recently.
In the last election in 2024, Neal did not have a Democratic primary opponent and defeated independent candidate Nadia Milleron with 62.7% of the vote. In 2022, he beat Republican Dean Martilli with 61.5%. And, in 2020, Neal fended off a vigorous challenge from then-Holyoke Mayor and fellow Democrat Alex Morse with 58.6% of the vote in that year’s primary.
He also has influence: Neal is the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means committee and has chaired the panel in the past.
Then there is money. According to federal campaign finance records, Neal had $3.9 million in his account as of the end of June. Whalen has yet to file a report but said he has been raising money through smaller donations.
Whalen, when asked about that large sum his opponent has, took issue with where some of that cash came from, and the possible influence that came with it.
"It's big banks, it's big pharma, and it's everyone I don't want in my ear, so I can do this within my principled system and with my value beliefs," he said.
On the issues, Whalen said he wants to focus on improving health care, education and making it easier for more people to earn a living wage
Neal's campaign did not respond to requests for comment as of Thursday afternoon.
Schoolteacher to challenge Neal for Congress
South Hadley’s Jeromie Whalen launches progressive campaign against 36-year incumbent in 1st District
By: Alexander MacDougall
A public school teacher defeating a 36-year veteran congressman seems like something out of a Hollywood screenplay. But Jeromie Whalen wants to make that a reality.
Whalen, a teacher at Northampton High School who lives in South Hadley, confirmed he plans to run as a Democratic challenger in the 2026 primary against U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, who represents the 1st Congressional District of Massachusetts. The district, which is the largest and most sparsely populated in the state, includes 11 Hampshire County communities; the towns of Rowe, Monroe, Charlemont and Hawley in Franklin County; all of Hampden and Berkshire counties; and 13 communities in Worcester County.
“My activism in life has always been on the front lines of being an educator, making sure that the next generation is thinking about being good people,” Whalen said. “Seeing the potential of that and spreading that message on a larger scale, I think the time is now. … It’s time to rethink not only what’s going on in western Mass, but use this as a catalyst for something larger.”
Born in New Hampshire and raised in Belchertown, Whalen has spent the last 11 years working as a communications and media production teacher at Northampton High School. Whalen’s students work to put together the school’s weekly digital video news program “The Transcript,” as they learn to work in digital production and management, and even have interviewed state officials in the past.
Unsurprisingly, Whalen said his desire to run for Congress came from his students. Whalen recalled the first time Donald Trump won a presidential election in 2016, and the heavy atmosphere in the room among students. Though rarely political in the classroom, he told his students that “this isn’t normal. This isn’t something that you should be seeing all the time. And I apologize on behalf of adults for creating the situation you’re watching.”
When Trump was elected for his second term in 2024, Whalen said he gave the same speech to his classroom. Only this time, the reaction from students was different.
“The kids are looking at me unfazed. And I said to myself, ‘Oh no, this has become normalized,'” Whalen said. “Trump was first elected when these kids were 7, 8 years old. Now the world they know is a world in which we have such animosity every single day from the president.”
Though Neal is a Democrat who is opposed to Trump, Whalen criticized him for taking money from corporate donors and not being physically present in parts of his district. He also said Neal has not done enough to oppose Trump’s presidency, contrasting him with other members of the state’s delegation such as Rep. Jim McGovern and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who have been more vocal in their criticism of the president.
“You start to unroll the ball that is Richie Neal, and you see that the apathy and the lack of leadership is directly connected and correlated with how much money he gets from people that aren’t his constituents,” Whalen said. “You realize why we have these entrenched ideologies from an old-school Democratic Party.”
According to nonprofit watchdog group OpenSecrets, Neal raised $3.31 million during the 2024 election cycle, putting him on par with the average amount raised by House members that year. Some of Neal’s top contributors included large investment firms such as the Blackstone Group, Fidelity Investments and Apollo Global Management. Neal’s largest contribution was $37,100 from the pro-Israel lobbying group American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Whalen’s platform is a progressive one, focusing on the economy, education and health care. Whalen criticized the Trump administration’s suggestions of abolishing the U.S. Department of Education, calling it “unacceptable.” He also advocated for adopting at the federal level a tax reform similar to the Fair Share Amendment in Massachusetts, which funds transportation and public education by taxing households with very high incomes, as well as raising the federal minimum wage.
“You don’t see the amount of millionaires going down or fleeing from our state. In fact, you see the opposite,” said Whalen, a claim supported by a report from the progressive think tank The Institute for Policy Studies. “The idea that the minimum wage is still $7.25 in some parts of the nation, you just can’t do anything with that.”
But it will take more than just policy ideas and determination to defeat Neal, a longtime fixture in Congress and a ranking member of the influential Ways and Means Committee in the House of Representatives.
Whalen said he is undaunted by the challenge, and plans to take a year off from teaching to focus on his campaign to travel throughout the district to meet potential voters. Should he fail, he says, the teaching job will be there waiting for him.
“I’m going to dedicate every waking second of my life to going into every neighborhood, every event that I can, and having the authentic conversations and showing that there is a real person running for this seat,” Whalen said. “I have really nothing to lose and that frees me to talk authentically.”
The Hampshire County communities in the 1st Congressional District include South Hadley, Easthampton, Belchertown, Granby, Cummington, Huntington, Middlefield, Plainfield, Southampton, Ware and Worthington.
Source: https://recorder.com/2025/08/21/northampton-teacher-to-challenge-neal-for-congress/
WMass high school teacher plans 2026 challenge to Rep. Neal
Photo by Douglas Hook
By Daniel Jackson
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS - Jeromie Whalen says his lack of experience holding or even running for public office is an asset as he challenges U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, for his seat in Congress.
Whalen, who taught communications and media production at Northampton High School before taking the year off to campaign, filed his statement of organization with the Federal Elections Commission at the end of July.
On Sept. 6, the South Hadley resident plans to release a complete policy platform — more than a year before Democratic voters will pick their candidate for Massachusetts’ 1st District.
“When we have a lack of leadership from the top, it makes my job a hell of a lot harder,” Whalen, 38, said. “It makes the jobs of nurses and union members and … the farmers, like literally everybody’s life harder if we don’t have leadership that can stand up to what we’ve been experiencing.”
Some blame for the country’s current political climate, Whalen said, lies at the feet of Neal, the longtime lawmaker who is ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee, because of his acceptance of PAC and corporate donations.
Independent news outlet The Shoestring reported last year that Neal was one of the top recipients of PAC donations in Congress.
The funding has fostered apathy among voters in Western Massachusetts, Whalen believes, and he questioned if the power Neal wields in Congress actually benefits the region.
When asked about Neal’s primary challenger, the lawmaker’s campaign committee issued a statement: “Congressman Neal is fighting back against Donald Trump and Republicans’ reckless budget that slashes healthcare for working families to give tax breaks to the wealthy and add trillions to the deficit. The Congressman is laser-focused on holding Republicans accountable and taking back the House in 2026.”
Whalen said he views his campaign as an opportunity to challenge not just the current Trump administration but the current political process as a whole.
“I’m out here doing grassroots stuff, raising money one small donor at a time,” Whalen said. “And I’m proud of that. When I get a $50 donation, I immediately call that person up and say, ‘Hey, thank you, how are you doing?’”
Whalen said the nation needs universal health care and he’d like to bring the state’s Fair Share Amendment, aka the millionaire’s tax, to the national stage. He’d like to see the Department of Education not just restored but its role expanded nationally.
“People usually say that these things are incredibly progressive and they’re dreamer ideas,” Whalen said. “These aren’t dreamer ideas. These are necessities for a functioning society.”
Whalen said his lack of political ties allows him to think big on such ideas.
Whalen, who describes himself as a T-shirt-wearing, Cumberland Farms coffee-drinking candidate, said that along with grassroots support, he will tap help from national consultants.
“I really got nothing to lose when it comes to this,” Whalen said. “If I lose, I have a community that loves me. I have students that love and respect me. I can go back to my life.”
What he doesn’t want to do, he said, is tread the halls of Congress into his 70s.
During the 2024 general election, Neal faced independent Nadia Milleron, a Sheffield resident who lobbied for airline safety following the death of her daughter in a 2019 Boeing 737 MAX crash and who said Neal’s office failed to assist her effort. Winning his 19th term in Congress, Neal received 62.6% of the vote to Milleron’s 37.4%.
The Richard E. Neal for Congress Committee has about $3.9 million cash on hand, according to the FEC.