Holyoke, Mass. Mayor Alex Morse won reelection Tuesday to a fourth term. It is the first four-year term in Holyoke history after voters approved the change two years ago. Morse was greeted by cheers from 200 people at his election night headquarters at Gateway City Arts.
The unofficial final results show Morse defeating former City Councilor Jay Ferreira by a 57-42 percent margin. Morse was first elected in 2011 at the age of 22. He thanked supporters and pledged with the help of a newly elected City Council to pursue a progressive agenda.
In an interview, Morse said he took nothing for granted with the election even though his opponent trailed the incumbent badly in fundraising.
Morse said his priorities are more affordable housing and economic development for Holyoke. He said the public image of Holyoke is changing from that a downtrodden old mill city to one that is pursuing growth opportunities including the burgeoning marijuana industry in Massachusetts.
Companies are eyeing several of the city’s vacant mills as cultivation and production facilities for marijuana products.
