Alex Morse ’11 has kicked off his campaign for reelection as mayor of Holyoke, Mass., with a platform of economic development and public safety.
Morse, 24, is running for reelection in a nonpartisan election against businessman Jeff Stanek after becoming the city’s youngest-ever mayor when elected to his current term in November 2011.
The city’s economic health lies at the center of the campaign. As mayor, Morse has introduced tax incentives to promote business growth and to encourage businesses and homeowners to move to Holyoke’s downtown district.
Morse’s campaign website highlights economic development as his top priority, while Stanek’s campaign site emphasizes his nearly two decades of experience in financial management roles.
Morse believes “the energy of the city has changed” since he took office, wrote Patrick Prendergast, communications director for Morse’s campaign, in an email to The Herald. Morse aims to use a second term to build on the progress he has already made, Prendergast wrote, adding that the mayor believes his opponent offers the “same tired ideas and uninspired leadership” that have impeded the city’s progress in the past.
Stanek’s campaign website states that current tax incentives are insufficient to attract businesses that will help the city grow. The site touts Stanek’s pledge to “aggressively market companies in fields such as manufacturing, warehousing, distribution and telecommunications” by cutting business tax rates. Stanek could not be reached for comment by press time.
Prendergast wrote that Morse considers himself an “active champion” of the Holyoke school system, adding that Morse has expanded aid programs for disadvantaged students and created a city government office for promoting early childhood literacy. Morse has also introduced new sexual education programs for middle and high school students, according to his campaign website.
The city’s new sexual education programs have allowed educators to have “direct conversations” with students about health, said Sergio Paez, superintendent of the Holyoke public schools system. Holyoke has the highest teen pregnancy rate in Massachusetts, Paez said, adding that the new curriculum will have a positive impact on many students’ futures.
Both candidates have promoted themselves as strong communicators.
Paez highlighted Morse’s fluency in Spanish as another asset he has used in his outreach to city residents and students — 75 percent of whom come from homes in which English is not the primary language.
“He is understanding of the (Hispanic) culture and language,” Paez said. Morse “understands the struggle” of the city’s Hispanic community, he said.
“I really enjoy leading a bilingual city,” Morse said in a statement Pendergast emailed to The Herald. “The best practice is speaking with my Puerto Rican friends and meeting with my constituents,” Morse said in the statement.
Experience in accounting and operational positions have developed Stanek’s communication skills, according to his campaign website.
Both candidates have addressed public safety as a key issue facing Holyoke.
Stanek has proposed creating a task force to carry out undercover surveillance and community support, according to his website.
Morse said in the statement that his policing initiatives have bettered relations between the Holyoke police force and community members while reducing crime.
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