Progressives Backing Alex Morse Are Mostly Silent On Misconduct Charges
Many progressive groups and individuals backing Holyoke, Massachusetts, Mayor Alex Morse’s primary challenge against Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) have yet to comment on allegations of inappropriate behavior that surfaced against Morse on Friday night.
The Working Families Party, Indivisible, IfNotNow, Our Revolution, the Massachusetts Nurses Association and Justice Democrats, which recruited Morse to run and recently began an independent TV ad campaign on his behalf, have all stayed silent about the accusations.
Reached by HuffPost for comment, Indivisible said it was not commenting. Our Revolution informed HuffPost that it would be conferring with its Massachusetts chapter about the matter at some point on Monday. And a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Nurses Association, a labor union, said its board of directors would meet this week to decide whether to stand by its endorsement or withdraw it.
The Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate action group known for its effective mobilization of campaign volunteers, announced late Monday afternoon that, although it was not withdrawing its endorsement of Morse, it would be suspending all activity on Morse’s behalf “until further notice.” The pause, the group said, is necessary to “give us time to learn more, further assess the situation, hear more from the campaign and students, and continue conversations amongst our membership in Western [Massachusetts] and across the country.”
Sunrise Western Massachusetts’ chapter, however, is withdrawing its endorsement of Morse.
“We believe the students that came forward about the inappropriate nature of Alex’s actions ― as we believe all survivors,” the regional group said in a statement on Facebook. “There is no justice without survivor justice.”
Meanwhile, the LGBTQ Victory Fund, the Berkshires chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America and Holyoke City Councilman Juan Anderson-Burgos expressed their continued support for Morse.
“The...
