24 Facts About Alex Morse

Alex Benjamin Morse was born on January 29,1989 and is an American politician who served as the 44th mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts from 2012 to 2021.

Alex Morse was reelected three times, with his final term expiring in January 2022.

Alex 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.

In September 2020, Alex Morse lost the primary for Massachusetts's 1st congressional district to incumbent Richard Neal.

Alex Benjamin Morse was born January 29,1989, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, the youngest of three children of Tracey and Ingrid Morse.

Alex Morse took an interest in politics at an early age.

Alex Morse was a participant in Upward Bound, a federal program that facilitates higher education in students from low-income families.

Alex Morse graduated in the spring of 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in urban studies.

In January 2011, while in his final semester at Brown University, Alex Morse announced his campaign for mayor of Holyoke.

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

Alex Morse has attended several cannabis cultivation forums as a speaker, including several on the industry hosted in Holyoke.

On November 26,2012, Alex Morse held a press conference announcing his reversal on this stance, 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.

Alex Morse has publicly supported state expanded programs such as bilingual education, and the tentative construction of two new middle schools for a reported estimate of $132 million.

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 Alex 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".

In 2014 the city council criticized Alex Morse for refusing to disclose the reason for providing a $45,000 exit agreement to city solicitor Heather Egan, a year after her appointment.

On November 19,2014, Alex 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.

Alex 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.

On June 22,2019, Alex Morse announced his run for the US House of Representatives against incumbent Democrat Richard Neal, to represent Massachusetts's 1st congressional district.

Alex Morse was later endorsed by the Justice Democrats, the Sunrise Movement, and Humanity Forward.

Alex Morse was defeated by Neal by around 17 percentage points.

The email said that Alex Morse had used dating apps to match with and contact students, aged 18 and above, at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where Alex Morse was an adjunct instructor.

The released chat logs discussed looking for Alex Morse's dating profiles and how to lead him into saying incriminating things, and their hopes of gaining internships with Neal in exchange.

Alex Morse was born to a Christian father and a Jewish mother.

Alex Morse was a lecturer of political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 2014 to 2019.