Fmr. State Senator to challenge Neal

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - A candidate vying for Congressman Richard Neal's seat kicked off his campaign in Holyoke Wednesday morning.

Andrea Nuciforo, Jr. announced that he is running for the seat currently held by Neal. Nuciforo is a Democrat from Pittsfield, and represented Berkshire County in the State Senate for 11 years.

He says that there are many issues he hopes to tackle if he makes it to Washington. “We need to be true to programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and the Veterans Administration. The people of this country have built those programs dollar by dollar, day by day over the last decade. We've got to make sure those programs are there for millions of people who rely on them in the future,” Nuciforo said. Watch the video to find out more about Nuciforo's platform.

Nuciforo currently lives in a district represented by Rep. John Olver (D-Amherst). The new district lines created due to the 2010 Census put Berkshire County into the new 1st Congressional District, which also includes Neal’s home in Springfield. Writer Bill Shein, an Alford Democrat, is also planning to challenge Neal for the Democratic nomination in the new district.