After Bitter Congressional Race, Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse Named Provincetown Town Manager
Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse waves during a campaign event in Holyoke, Mass., on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020.
Allison Dinner / Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Provincetown Select Board has chosen Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse to be their next town manager. Morse lost a bitter congressional primary fight last year against Rep. Richard Neal during which Democratic officials supported a smear campaign suggesting Morse had made inappropriate overtures to young men.
The 31-year-old Morse was among three finalists for the Provincetown position. He had previously announced he was not seeking re-election after serving as Holyoke s mayor for 10 years; the Provincetown Select Board voted 5-0 in favor of hiring him Thursday night.
The Pittsfield native comes from a political family in the Berkshires. It is still unknown whether Gov. Charlie Baker will seek a third term, but Downing in recent weeks has amplified his criticism of the Republican on social media, blasting the administration for its choppy COVID-19 vaccination rollout.