The Democratic primary is more than a year away, but a challenger has immerged 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.
