GREENFIELD — Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution (FCCPR), a local grassroots organization committed to progressive causes, is endorsing congressional hopeful Jeromie Whalen in the 2026 primary election.
Of the 126 dues-paying members of FCCPR who were asked to vote on whether the group should endorse Whalen, a Democrat seeking to unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. Richard Neal to represent the 1st Congressional District of Massachusetts, 31 members submitted ballots. Those 31 members voted unanimously in support of the endorsement.
“Voter turnout was somewhat low because most of our members do not live in CD-01, but those who voted clearly saw the need to replace Richie Neal with someone who will play an active role in fighting for his constituents in CD-01, as well as for democracy in general,” FCCPR Coordinating Committee member David Greenberg, a resident of Colrain, wrote in an email. “Jeromie is exactly the kind of progressive activist that will push the Democrats to fight back against authoritarianism.”
The 1st Congressional District spans the entirety of Berkshire and Hampden counties, and portions of Hampshire and Worcester counties, as well as the Franklin County towns of Charlemont, Hawley, Rowe and Monroe.
Whalen had presented his “working class, progressive platform” to FCCPR last week ahead of the vote. A teacher at Northampton High School who lives in South Hadley and grew up in Belchertown, Whalen told FCCPR members that he will “fight like hell” for the district if elected, but also “bring compassion to the table.”
“I grew up in Belchertown. Belchertown was a small town. It was a purple place and there was a lot of differing opinions on the political spectrum, but it was a small enough town that you knew everyone’s first and last name when you saw them at the grocery store,” Whalen said. “So I grew up with differing opinions, but a universal commonality that was just looking out for your neighbor and I really instill that into my own politics to this day.”
He said his interest in politics comes from his students and seeing their unfazed reactions to the 2024 presidential election, as well as his background in media. He was involved with the Massachusetts Daily Collegian while studying at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and at Northampton Open Media, where he watched and managed broadcasts for City Council meetings and dipped his toes into government.
“I said, ‘I can do everything I can for my students and my communities, but if we’re not getting relief from the top, what’s going on?’ And I could see all of the amazing work that was happening on the municipal level and the state level,” Whalen said. “We have an amazing coalition of leaders in western and central Massachusetts, and I have a lot of respect for them, and I also know by virtue of knowing them that we didn’t have that connection on the federal level. That relationship was not there.”
During his time watching various board and committee meetings, as well as political rallies, protests and community events, Whalen said he’s seen residents working hard to keep their municipalities afloat, and budgets pushing schools and municipalities “to the breaking point.” Whalen said he’s seen towns struggle to balance the needs of their different departments, but what he hasn’t seen is Neal, who he argued has not been physically present in parts of the 1st Congressional District.
“I see you out there. I was there with you at the ‘No War on Venezuela’ protest, and the time in which I was walking 43 miles for the [March for the Food Bank] with [U.S. Rep] Jim McGovern, you were right next to me,” Whalen told FCCPR members. “I want to represent people and I’m out there every single day.”
Whalen alleged that Neal has been corrupted by corporate greed and has taken millions from private companies over his 37-year career in Congress.
According to data from the Federal Election Commission, Neal has raised more than $1.41 million for the 2026 election. Contributors to Neal’s campaign include Google, Southwest Airlines, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Bank of America. Whalen has raised $98,220, all of which has come from individual donors.
“We’re never going to be able to compete with his corporate money, but Richard Neal will never have 60 people in a snowstorm knocking on doors because they believe in him,” said Whalen, referring to the volunteers who have been helping him canvas for signatures to get on the ballot. “I don’t have any corporate money backing me.”
If elected, Whalen said he wishes to continue getting to know the communities in the district and building relationships, working with towns on the issues that matter to them and, in particular, bringing more federal dollars back to the region.
As of Monday, Whalen has already collected the 2,000 signatures required to be put on the ballot. He said he is honored to have received FCCPR’s endorsement, as he admires the organization’s work and what it stands for.
“Over the course of this campaign, we’ve made it a point to show up when our country and our communities call for it. That’s why I’m so grateful to Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution for [its] endorsement and support. For over a decade, FCCPR has been at the forefront of political organizing and activism in the valley, showing how building relationships within your own community can lead to transformation at the local, state and national levels,” he said in a statement. “To me, representation in the halls of Congress means reflecting the hard work already happening on the ground here in western and central Massachusetts. An endorsement from FCCPR is a reminder that real change comes from ordinary people coming together around a shared purpose. We’ve stood shoulder to shoulder, marching against hunger, opposing wars abroad and defending our immigrant communities, among so many other efforts. That spirit defines this endorsement and our democracy, and I’m honored to be part of it.”
The full question-and-answer session with FCCPR was recorded and has been posted to the organization’s YouTube channel. Whalen said more information about his campaign can be found at whalenforcongressma.com and that his next community canvassing day in Franklin County is scheduled for June 20.