Wikipedia

Alex Morse

Alex Benjamin Morse (born January 29, 1989) is an American politician who served as the 44th mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts from 2012 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected the youngest mayor of Holyoke at age 22. He was reelected three times, with his final term expiring in January 2022.[2][3][4] Morse resigned on March 26, 2021, to accept a position as the town manager of Provincetown, beginning on April 5, 2021.[5][6]

Alex Morse
Town Manager of Provincetown
Incumbent
Assumed office
April 5, 2021
Preceded byCharles Sumner (interim)
44th Mayor of Holyoke
In office
January 2, 2012 – March 26, 2021
Preceded byElaine Pluta
Succeeded byJoshua A. Garcia
Personal details
Born
Alex Benjamin Morse[1]

(1989-01-29) January 29, 1989 (age 35)
Holyoke, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationBrown University (BA)
WebsiteGovernment website
Campaign website

Morse was the first incumbent mayor in Massachusetts to endorse the legalization of cannabis during a 2016 ballot initiative, an industry he has since sought to promote in Holyoke's economy, in tandem with information technology startups.[7][8] In September 2020, Morse lost the primary for Massachusetts's 1st congressional district to incumbent Richard Neal.[9]

Early life and education

edit

Alex Benjamin Morse was born January 29, 1989, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, the youngest of three children of Tracey and Ingrid Morse (née Powell).[10] He took an interest in politics at an early age. In 2001, at age 12, he joined the Holyoke Youth Commission, a group that advises city leaders on issues affecting young people.

A graduate of the Holyoke Public Schools, Morse served two terms as student representative for the Holyoke School Committee and three years on the Massachusetts Governor's LGBT Commission.[11] He was a participant in Upward Bound, a federal program that facilitates higher education in students from low-income families.[11]

During his time at Holyoke High School, Morse formed a chapter of the Gay-Straight Alliance, and was the inaugural recipient of Boston's Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays Elsie Frank Award, a scholarship named in honor of the mother of Congressman Barney Frank.[12][13]

The following autumn Morse entered Brown University, working part-time as an assistant for David Cicilline, the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, and a future Congressman. Morse graduated in the spring of 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in urban studies.[14] In 2016, he completed Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government as a David Bohnett LGBTQ Victory Institute Leadership Fellow.[15]

Career

edit

Mayoral elections

edit

In January 2011, while in his final semester at Brown University, Morse announced his campaign for mayor of Holyoke. The previous summer, he had attended a three-day workshop in New York City hosted by Wellstone Action, a grassroots campaign training organization for progressives, and began quietly fundraising at the end of 2010.[16][17][18]

Morse's election in 2011 at the age of 22 received national coverage, as he was the city's youngest and first openly gay mayor and, at the time, among the youngest mayors in the United States.[19][20] He was reelected in 2013 and 2015.

In 2015, Holyoke's mayoral term was extended from two years to four, effective 2017.[3] Morse was reelected that year, and is the first Holyoke mayor to serve a four-year term.[21]

On December 1, 2020, Morse announced that he would not seek reelection as mayor in 2021.[4]

Mayoral tenure

edit
 
Left to right: Alex Morse, Richard Neal, Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray, Congressman John Olver, and others presiding over groundbreaking in 2012 for Holyoke station; a $73 million federal grant by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) restored rail service for the first time since 1967

Cannabis industry

edit

On August 1, 2016, Morse became the first Massachusetts mayor to publicly endorse the legalization of cannabis.[7][8] Following legalization, Morse has encouraged investment of marijuana cultivation in the city, calling Holyoke "the Rolling Paper City"; he vetoed a 2017 moratorium the city council placed on recreational retailers.[22]

Morse has attended several cannabis cultivation forums as a speaker, including several on the industry hosted in Holyoke.[23][24] Among the earliest projects to open in Holyoke was a $10 million cultivation facility for Chicago-based Green Thumb Industries (GTI), which was operational by mid-2018.[25] Several other businesses have since purchased facilities in the city, including a $3.2 million sale of a former American Thread Company mill to Trulieve, a company seeking to produce and sell retail marijuana at the site.[26][27]

Casino

edit

During Morse's 2011 campaign, a prominent issue was plans for a casino in the city, with then-mayor Elaine Pluta supporting such plans and Morse opposing them.[28] In an October 2012 editorial, Morse elaborated on his position, concluding, "I oppose a casino in Holyoke because I have not given up on Holyoke".[29]

On November 26, 2012, Morse held a press conference announcing his reversal on this stance,[30] vowing to work with local businessman Eric Suher and others to build a casino at Mountain Park, with the city accepting a $25,000 payment from the developer for the costs of a review process. Facing backlash from supporters of his previous campaign against casinos, by December 2012 Morse reversed course and returned the funds, citing a "resounding voice against the casinos".[31][32]

Education

edit

As the chair of the Holyoke School Committee, Morse opposed state receivership before the 2015 state takeover, saying, "We should agree that local control matters, which is to say that a corporate takeover of our district or a charter organization running our district is not acceptable".[33] Since receivership he has become increasingly supportive of state implementation, as public schools have seen marked improvement, with graduation rates increasing 20%.[34] Morse has also publicly supported state expanded programs such as bilingual education,[35] and the tentative construction of two new middle schools for a reported estimate of $132 million.[36]

Labor support

edit

In 2017, following a trial shutdown, or "brownout", of a local fire engine company, the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1693 made a vote of no confidence in Morse, saying in a press release, "Chief Pond's continued reductions to the Department and practice of operating the Department at unsafe levels, all with the support of [the] Mayor".[37] Morse has repeatedly affirmed support of the fire chief and denied the validity of these concerns, saying at a protest outside of a fundraiser that "the points that they're making just are untrue."[38][39]

The Pioneer Valley AFL–CIO and the New England Regional Council of Carpenters Local 108 endorsed Morse in his 2017 reelection campaign.[40]

Municipal finance

edit

In 2014 the city council criticized Morse for refusing to disclose the reason for providing a $45,000 exit agreement to city solicitor Heather Egan, a year after her appointment.[41][42] In response, Morse said in a Reddit AMA: "I do admit that I should have briefed the City Council before executing the settlement agreement with this former employee as to avoid issues of perception. Again, when faced with the decision to potentially spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal costs to fight frivolous lawsuits, or to execute a settlement agreement with funds that were already allocated in the budget, I chose the latter. Separation agreements are not uncommon in both the private and public sector."[43]

Following the resignation of the city auditor in 2018, who suggested receivership and said he did not believe the mayor's office followed protocol, state auditor Suzanne Bump responded to a city council request stating, "I do not believe the circumstances in Holyoke rise to the level of warranting a state audit". In the previous month, a private audit by firm CliftonLarsonAllen found all city funds accounted for.[44] Although Holyoke's government has a strong mayor–council government, Morse has called for finance-related departments to be placed under a chief financial officer appointed by the mayor and subject to City Council confirmation. The charter currently calls for the election of city treasurers.[45][46]

Sanctuary city status

edit

On November 19, 2014, Morse issued an executive order to the Holyoke Police Department, asking the department not to enforce federal civil detainer requests for holding immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally past the point they would usually be released. This codified a practice previously implemented during his tenure. The practice would not apply those who were registered as sex offenders, had previous indictments or convictions, or outstanding warrants.[47][48]

Following a threat by the Trump administration to defund sanctuary cities in 2017, Morse reaffirmed this practice. Morse acknowledged that he knew of no instance where local police ignored federal immigration requests, and that the policy did not directly affect Holyoke's largest group of Latino residents, the Puerto Rican community, who hold American citizenship.[49]

2020 congressional campaign

edit

On June 22, 2019, Morse announced his run for the U.S. House of Representatives against incumbent Democrat Richard Neal, to represent Massachusetts's 1st congressional district.[50] He was later endorsed by the Justice Democrats, the Sunrise Movement, and Humanity Forward.[51][52][53][54] Morse was defeated by Neal by around 17 percentage points.[9]

In an August 2020 email, as part of what Morse and Out magazine later called a smear campaign,[55] the College Democrats of Massachusetts alleged that Morse had used "his position of power for romantic or sexual gain".[56] The email said that Morse had used dating apps to match with and contact students, aged 18 and above, at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where Morse was an adjunct instructor.[56] The political group disinvited Morse from any future events on campus.[57] Morse responded, "I have never violated UMass policy".[58] The local chapter of the Sunrise Movement voted to retract its endorsement of Morse, and the national organization announced that it would no longer campaign for him. Other organizations, including the Justice Democrats and the Working Families Party, affirmed their support of Morse.[59][60]

On August 12, 2020, The Intercept published an article on chat logs shared with the publication, reporting that the accusations had been organized starting almost a year earlier as part of a sting operation by the UMass Amherst College Democrats in an attempt to aid Neal. The released chat logs discussed looking for Morse's dating profiles and how to lead him into saying incriminating things, and their hopes of gaining internships with Neal in exchange. The Neal campaign and the UMass Amherst College Democrats both denied having cooperated.[61] Timothy Ennis, the chief strategist and former president of the UMass Amherst College Democrats, had taken a class with Neal and was highlighted as a driving force behind the allegations, with members of the group saying that Ennis saw Neal as his "in" for a political career.[62] Former members of the UMass Amherst College Democrats alleged an "anti-Morse bias" in the group.[62][63] On August 12, Business Insider journalist Grace Panetta wrote on Twitter that she had been contacted anonymously in April 2020 and that the names in the chat logs The Intercept had acquired were the same as those who had written her with vague allegations against Morse.[64][65]

Massachusetts state senator Julian Cyr said the situation showed how "vague and anonymous allegations can be easily launched against LGBTQ candidates to destroy their campaigns".[66] Journalist Glenn Greenwald expressed a similar sentiment, writing that the allegations were "old homophobic tropes" and calling the allegations a "smear campaign".[66] LGBTQ Victory Fund political director Sean Meloy called the incident "a series of orchestrated political attacks meant to weaponize Alex’s sexuality and appeal to a homophobic narrative around the sex lives of LGBTQ people."[67] On August 16, 2020, the Sunrise Movement resumed campaigning for Morse.[67]

Further reporting by The Intercept alleged that the executive director of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, Veronica Martinez, coordinated with College Democrats before the allegations were made public, and that she "demanded records of her communications with CDMA members be destroyed" once the allegations were brought into question.[67] Martinez denied the report.[67] In response to evidence and allegations that party officials and elected representatives may have collaborated in originating and circulating the allegations for political gain, more than 50 Massachusetts Democratic State Committee members wrote that the organization's leadership "may have behaved unethically" and demanded an independent investigation before the September election into "what appears to be an unprecedented abuse of power".[68]

That independent investigation found that Massachusetts Democratic Party leaders played a role in encouraging the students to send the letter, intentionally affecting the campaign and violating party rules.[69][70]

An independent investigation requested by UMass found that Morse had used dating apps to "aggressively pursue dates and sexual relationships with students" but had not violated any school policy. It also found no evidence that Neal’s campaign had had a role in the initial report and advised the school to tighten its policies on teacher-student relationships.[71][72]

Town manager of Provincetown

edit

After ending his tenure as mayor of Holyoke, Morse was unanimously chosen by the Provincetown selectboard to be the next town manager, replacing an interim town manager.[5][73]

Personal life

edit

Morse is Jewish and openly gay.[18] He was born to a Christian father and a Jewish mother.[74] In 2012, Morse was ranked #9 in Out magazine's annual list of 100 most eligible bachelors; in 2013 the magazine ranked him #66.[75][76] In response, Morse said, "I'd like to thank Out magazine for their recognition. It's always positive to see Holyoke highlighted in national publications."[77]

Morse was a lecturer of political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 2014 to 2019.[78][14]

Forbes magazine named Morse in their 2019 30 Under 30 list for Law & Policy, citing his "initiatives include offering refuge to Puerto Ricans displaced by Hurricane Maria, encouraging legal marijuana businesses and restoring the city's downtown."[79][80]

Morse's mother suffered from severe mental health issues and his brother struggled with drug addiction; both died during his mayoralty.[81]

Electoral history

edit
Alex Morse's electoral history
Holyoke mayoral election, 2011[82][83][19]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Alex Morse 2,023 39
Nonpartisan Elaine Pluta (incumbent) 2,022 39
Nonpartisan Daniel C. Boyle 806 16
Nonpartisan Daniel C. Burns 310 6
Total votes 5,161 100
General election
Nonpartisan Alex Morse 5,121 53
Nonpartisan Elaine Pluta (incumbent) 4,513 47
Total votes 9,634 100
Holyoke mayoral election, 2013[84][85]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Alex Morse (incumbent) 2,419 45
Nonpartisan Jeff Stanek 2,249 42
Nonpartisan Daniel Szostkiewicz 305 6
Nonpartisan Jim Santiago 197 4
Nonpartisan Daniel C. Boyle 190 4
Total votes 5,360 100
General election
Nonpartisan Alex Morse (incumbent) 5,274 54
Nonpartisan Jeff Stanek 4,425 46
Total votes 9,634 100
Holyoke mayoral election, 2015[86]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Alex Morse (incumbent) 2,694 43
Nonpartisan Francis O'Connell 2,450 39
Nonpartisan Anthony Soto 1,145 18
Total votes 6,289 100
General election
Nonpartisan Alex Morse (incumbent) 5,429 53
Nonpartisan Francis O'Connell 4,855 47
Total votes 10,284 100
Holyoke mayoral election, 2017[87][88]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Alex Morse (incumbent) 1,984 56
Nonpartisan Jay Ferreira 992 28
Nonpartisan Michael Thomas Siciliano 354 10
Total votes 3,330 100
General election
Nonpartisan Alex Morse (incumbent) 4,557 58
Nonpartisan Jay Ferreira 3,316 42
Total votes 7,873 100
U.S. House Democratic Primary, 1st Congressional District, 2020[89]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Richard Neal (incumbent) 84,092 58
Democratic Alex Morse 59,110 41
Total votes 145,136 100

References

edit
  1. ^ Employment Agreement Between the Town of Provincetown and Town Manager (PDF) (Report). Town of Provincetown. March 10, 2021 – via New Boston Post.
  2. ^ *Hilliard, John (August 8, 2020). "UMass Amherst investigating Holyoke mayor and congressional candidate Morse over allegations of inappropriate conduct". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts: Boston Globe Media Partners, L.P. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020. ...Morse, now in his fourth term as Holyoke's mayor...
  3. ^ a b An act establishing a 4-year term for the office of Mayor of the City of Holyoke. Massachusetts General Court. September 29, 2015. Archived from the original on April 23, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Kinney, Jim (December 1, 2020). "Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse not seeking reelection". The Republican. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse chosen as Town Manager of Provincetown". WWLP. February 25, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  6. ^ "Friday is Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse's last day in office". WWLP 22 News. Chicopee, Mass. March 25, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Group: Holyoke's Alex Morse First Mayor To Endorse Marijuana Legalization Question". New England Public Radio. Springfield, Massachusetts. August 2, 2016. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Schoenberg, Shira (August 1, 2016). "Holyoke's Alex Morse becomes 1st Massachusetts mayor to support marijuana legalization ballot question". MassLive. Springfield, Massachusetts: Advance Publications. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019.
  9. ^ a b Peters, Jeremy (September 1, 2020). "Richard Neal, Powerful House Democrat, Fights Off Challenge From His Left". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  10. ^ Pearlman, Alex (November 30, 2011). "Let's get political: Meet Alex Morse, Holyoke's 22-year-old mayor-elect". Boston.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  11. ^ a b "On Being Young & 'Out' in Politics". LGBTQ Life at Williams. Williams College. Archived from the original on October 19, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  12. ^ Boccella, Kathy (May 3, 2009). "Youth leaders speak at gay-rights forum". McClatchy-Tribune Business News. Boston, Massachusetts: McClatchy.
  13. ^ Axelbank, Rachel L. (May 4, 2007). "Scholarship honors Elsie Frank". Jewish Advocate. Boston, Massachusetts: Jewish Advocate Publishing Corp. p. 5.
  14. ^ a b "Alex Morse". Department of Political Science. University of Massachusetts Amherst. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015.
  15. ^ "Bohnett Leaders Fellowship Alumni". victoryinstitute.org. Victory Institute. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  16. ^ Jonas, Michael (January 11, 2012). "Holyoke hope; Alex Morse, the 22-year-old openly gay new mayor of Holyoke, sold an ambitious vision for his hometown that may be just what the city needed to hear". CommonWealth. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019.
  17. ^ Dias, Sandra (January 2012). "The Hometown Mayor". Brown Alumni Magazine. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019.
  18. ^ a b Hicklin, Aaron (February 19, 2012). "Iron Man". Out.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  19. ^ a b Powers, Martine (November 10, 2011). "At 22, his first job out of college will be Holyoke mayor". Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts: Boston Globe Media Partners, L.P. Archived from the original on August 4, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  20. ^ Plaisance, Mike. "Jay Ferreira: 'something darker in play' with Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse campaign money? Morse: Ferreira willing to 'mislead voters'". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019.
  21. ^ Plaisance, Mike (January 1, 2018). "1st 4-year term for mayor in Holyoke history set for Mayor Alex Morse as officials to get inaugurated". Masslive. Advance Publications. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  22. ^ "Holyoke, Mass. Mayor Vetoes Council's Moratorium on Approval of Recreational Marijuana Retailers". GIE Media, Inc. August 16, 2017. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017.
  23. ^ Bantle, Meg (April 2, 2018). "Cannabis industry leaders gather at Hampshire College summit to widen appeal of plant". Valley Advocate. Concord, New Hampshire: Newspapers of New England Digital; H. S. Gere & Sons, Inc. Archived from the original on May 24, 2019.
  24. ^ "Holyoke Event To Focus on Equity In Massachusetts Cannabis Industry". BusinessWest. April 15, 2019. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019. * Plaisance, Mike (March 1, 2018). "Over 35 companies and CORI help set for job fair in Holyoke". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019.
  25. ^ Dokoupil, Tony (June 30, 2018). "Holyoke, Massachusetts, is ready to welcome the marijuana industry with open arms". CBS This Morning. New York City: CBS News. Archived from the original on July 1, 2018.
  26. ^ Kinney, Jim (June 25, 2019). "Marijuana company Trulieve Cannabis Corp., formerly Life Essence, buys Holyoke building for $3.2M from Conklin Office Furniture". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019.
  27. ^ HLY.6, MACRIS, Massachusetts Historical Commission.
  28. ^ Plaisance, Mike. "Holyoke race presents contrast between Mayor Elaine Pluta and challenger Alex Morse on casino gambling". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019.
  29. ^ Morse, Alex B. (October 11, 2012). "No dice: A casino would hurt, not help, Holyoke's economic redevelopment efforts". CommonWealth. MassINC. Archived from the original on July 4, 2014.
  30. ^ DeForge, Jeanette (November 26, 2012). "Holyoke Mayor Morse's casino reversal expected to spark protests". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019.
  31. ^ Arsenault, Mark (December 13, 2012). "In another reversal, Holyoke mayor drops pursuit of casino". Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts: Boston Globe Media Partners, L.P. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015.
  32. ^ "Mayor in Holyoke reverses casino stand, again". Telegram & Gazette. Worcester, Massachusetts: Gannett. The Associated Press. December 12, 2012. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019.
  33. ^ Williams, Michelle (February 18, 2015). "Amid threat of school receivership, Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse says 'local control matters'". MassLive. Springfield, Massachusetts: Advance Publications. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019.
  34. ^ Becker, Sy (March 4, 2019). "Dropout and graduation rates improved for Holyoke Public Schools". WWLP 22 News. Springfield, Massachusetts: NexStar Broadcasting, Inc. Archived from the original on June 15, 2019.
  35. ^ Hohenberger, Dennis (May 16, 2019). "Holyoke schools expanding dual-language program". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on May 16, 2019.
  36. ^ Hohenberger, Dennis (February 26, 2019). "Holyoke School Committee, City Council hold joint meeting on proposed middle schools". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on March 20, 2019.
  37. ^ Plaisance, Mike (May 17, 2017). "Firefighters union issues no confidence vote in Holyoke Chief John Pond, Mayor Alex Morse". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  38. ^ Whitlow, Tashanea (May 17, 2017). "Holyoke firefighter union say they have "no confidence" in Mayor and Fire Chief". WWLP 22 News. Springfield, Massachusetts: Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  39. ^ Firefighters protest at Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse fundraiser. MassLive. Springfield, Massachusetts: Advance Publications. June 12, 2017 – via Youtube.
  40. ^ Plaisance, Mike (October 31, 2017). "AFL-CIO, carpenters endorse Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse". MassLive. Springfield, Massachusetts: Advance Publications. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019.
  41. ^ Plaisance, Mike (June 3, 2014). "Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse addresses Heather Egan $45,000 exit agreement, but key question -- why? -- unanswered". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019. * Walsh, Ryan; Cho, Yoojin (June 17, 2014). "Mayor Morse says he did nothing wrong". WWLP 22 News. Springfield, Massachusetts: NexStar Publishing, Inc. Archived from the original on June 5, 2016.
  42. ^ Plaisance, Mike (February 28, 2013). "Holyoke lawyer Heather Egan is Mayor Alex Morse's choice as city solicitor, subject to City Council OK". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019.
  43. ^ Plaisance, Mike (August 15, 2014). "Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse tells Reddit he's at peace with decision on Heather Egan issue, fields questions about numerous issues". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019.
  44. ^ Plaisance, Mike (April 2, 2018). "No state audit of Holyoke finances needed, says Massachusetts Auditor Suzanne Bump". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019.
  45. ^ City of Holyoke Financial Management Review (PDF) (Report). Massachusetts Department of Revenue. December 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 21, 2018.
  46. ^ Plaisance, Mike (February 15, 2018). "Strange financial times at Holyoke City Hall: Here's what we know". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019.
  47. ^ Plaisance, Mike (November 19, 2014). "Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse directs police to skip enforcement of federal requests to hold immigrants past normal holding period". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019.
  48. ^ Plaisance, Mike (February 17, 2019). "'Sanctuary city' status of Holyoke a question Council wants answered after President Donald Trump order". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on January 4, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  49. ^ Epp, Henry (November 17, 2016). "What Could Trump's Pledge To Cut Funding Mean For 'Sanctuary Cities' In Western Mass.?". New England Public Radio. Springfield, Massachusetts. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019.
  50. ^ Resnick, Gideon (July 22, 2019). "This Dem Slow-Walked Getting Trump's Taxes—Now He's Getting Primaried". The Daily Beast. New York City: IAC. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  51. ^ Williams, Michelle (August 7, 2019). "Alex Morse endorsed in congressional bid by Justice Democrats, which helped elect AOC, Ayanna Pressley". Masslive. Springfield, Massachusetts: Advance Publications. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  52. ^ Frazin, Rachel (August 7, 2019). "Justice Democrats endorses two progressives challenging Democratic incumbents". The Hill. Washington, D.C.: Capitol Hill Publishing. Archived from the original on August 17, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  53. ^ "Vote Alex Morse for Congress". Sunrise Movement. Retrieved August 5, 2020.[permanent dead link]
  54. ^ "Endorsements". Humanity Forward. Archived from the original on August 17, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  55. ^ * "AOC Endorses Alex Morse in Congressional Bid After Smear Campaign". Out. August 26, 2020. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  56. ^ a b Collegian staff (August 7, 2020). "College Democrats allege inappropriate behavior between Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse and college students". The Massachusetts Daily Collegian. Amherst, Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts Amherst. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020.
  57. ^ Demirjian, Karoun (August 8, 2020). "University of Massachusetts investigates allegations of sexual impropriety against Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse". Karoun Demirjian. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020.
  58. ^ Christensen, Dusty (August 10, 2020). "Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse: 'I have never violated UMass policy'". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020.
  59. ^ DeCosta-Klipa, Nik (August 12, 2020). "Some progressive groups are distancing themselves from Alex Morse. But many aren't". Boston.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  60. ^ Cotter, Sean Philip (August 14, 2020). "Alex Morse expresses 'regret' following allegations". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  61. ^ Grim, Ryan; Boguslaw, Daniel (August 13, 2020). "College Democrat Chats Reveal Year-Old Plan To Engineer And Leak Alex Morse Accusations". The Intercept. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  62. ^ a b Boguslaw, David; Grim, Ryan (August 11, 2020). "College Democrat at Center of Attack on Alex Morse Hoped To Launch Career Through Richard Neal". The Intercept. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  63. ^ "Articles by The Intercept detail possible plot by College Democrats to derail Morse campaign". Daily Collegian. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  64. ^ Mack, David (August 14, 2020). "Alex Morse Would Like You To Know He Has Sex". Buzzfeed News. Archived from the original on August 29, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  65. ^ "Effort to Spread Alex Morse Accusations Was Wider Than Previously Known". The Intercept. August 20, 2020. Archived from the original on August 29, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  66. ^ a b "Denouncing 'Smear Campaign' Against Alex Morse, Former Detractor Calls for Focus on 'Damage Richie Neal Is Doing to Our Democracy'". Common Dreams.
  67. ^ a b c d Higgins, Eoin; Grim, Ryan; Boguslaw, Daniel (August 17, 2020). "Massachusetts State Party Leader Told College Democrats to Destroy Communication Records". Archived from the original on August 19, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  68. ^ Newcomb, Lisa (August 18, 2020). "Massachusetts Dems Call for Pre-Election Probe of State Party's Role in Smear Campaign Against US House Candidate Alex Morse". Common Dreams. Archived from the original on August 19, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  69. ^ The Editorial Board. "The Massachusetts Democratic Party's dirty tricks". Boston Globe. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  70. ^ Higgins; Boguslaw, Daniel (November 11, 2020). "Democratic Officials Lied About Role in Alex Morse Smear, Internal Report Finds". The Intercept. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  71. ^ "UMass Report: Alex Morse Didn't Violate Policy in Pursuing Relationships with Students". January 15, 2021.
  72. ^ "Final Investigative Report" (PDF). boston.cbslocal.com. January 13, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  73. ^ "Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse chosen as town manager of Provincetown". Daily Hampshire Gazette. February 25, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  74. ^ Dolsten, Josefin. "Elected mayor at 22, gay-Jewish-progressive Alex Morse is running for Congress". www.timesofisrael.com.
  75. ^ "100 Most Eligible Bachelors". Out. San Francisco, California: Here Media. February 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  76. ^ "100 Most Eligible Bachelors: Third Edition". Out. February 13, 2013. Archived from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  77. ^ Plaisance, Mike (February 18, 2013). "Out magazine ranks Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse 66th on list of 100 most eligible bachelors". Masslive. Springfield, Massachusetts: Advance Publications. Archived from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  78. ^ Thompson, Alex; Murray, Stephanie (August 7, 2020). "Justice Democrats candidate accused of inappropriate sexual behavior". Politico. Arlington, Virginia: Capitol News Company. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020.
  79. ^ "30 Under 30 - Law & Policy; Alex Morse". Forbes. New York City. Archived from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  80. ^ "Mayor Alex Morse named "30 under 30" by Forbes magazine". Department of Political Science. University of Massachusetts Amherst. November 13, 2018. Archived from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  81. ^ "Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse mourns death of brother who struggled with addiction". Masslive. Springfield, Massachusetts: Advance Publications. February 26, 2020. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  82. ^ Plaisance, Mike (September 21, 2011). "Holyoke mayoral battle pits newcomer Alex Morse vs. incumbent Elaine Pluta, with casino gambling and experience among the issues". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  83. ^ Plaisance, Mike (November 9, 2011). "Alex Morse elected youngest mayor in Holyoke's history". Masslive. Springfield, Massachusetts: Advance Publications. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  84. ^ Plaisance, Mike (September 18, 2013). "Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse to face off against Jeff Stanek in wake of preliminary election". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  85. ^ Plaisance, Mike (November 6, 2013). "Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse wins 2nd term, defeating newcomer Jeff Stanek". Masslive. Springfield, Massachusetts: Advance Publications. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  86. ^ Plaisance, Mike (September 23, 2015). "Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse wins preliminary election, faces Fran O'Connell Nov. 3". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  87. ^ Plaisance, Mike (September 27, 2017). "Thousands stay away as Holyoke's preliminary election turnout fails to crack 14 percent". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts. Archived from the original on November 25, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  88. ^ Plaisance, Mike (November 7, 2017). "2017 Massachusetts elections: Holyoke mayor live results (Alex Morse vs. Jason Ferreira". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on March 11, 2019.
  89. ^ "2020 U.S. House Democratic Primary, 1st Congressional District". Massachusetts Election Statistics. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
edit
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alex Morse.
Political offices
Preceded by
Elaine Pluta
 Mayor of Holyoke
2012–2021 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alex_Morse&oldid=1249658729"