CHICOPEE — Democratic U.S. Rep. Richard Neal accused his independent opponent, Nadia Milleron, of having ties to a MAGA-aligned group, while Milleron said the charge against her is a lie.
The exchange was one of many heated moments during a debate Wednesday ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
Neal’s allegation stems from the fact that Milleron’s husband, Michael Stumo, once was the CEO of the nonprofit Coalition for a Prosperous America. The organization advocates protecting domestic industries through higher tariffs and stricter trade enforcement, according to its website. Stumo now serves as the associate director for economic policy in President Donald Trump’s administration.
“Her mailing address at her home has been MAGA-based,” the 38-year incumbent Neal said.
Milleron, of Sheffield, emphatically denied the accusation, saying the organization is bipartisan and has Democrats on its board. She also said she would vote to impeach President Donald Trump.
“We depend on our legislators to tell the truth and to say what is real,” Milleron said. “And he is distorting what is actually real to make me look like I am MAGA. I didn’t vote for Trump, and I wouldn’t support him in any way.”
From the outset, Milleron said that Neal has been lying about her stances.
Neal said Milleron’s positions came from her own public statements, including Facebook posts and media interviews. He argued that he had not distorted her words.
The candidates are vying to represent Massachusetts’ 1st Congressional District, which has about 780,000 residents. The 30-minute debate in the studios of 22News in Chicopee is the only time the candidates will square off against each other.
Neal, the Springfield Democrat first elected to Congress in 1988, lauded his legacy while in office, noting that he secured more than $260 million in federal funds for the new Veterans Home at Holyoke, as well as millions more for rail in the state and for the reopening of North Adams Regional Hospital.
He also pointed to his record of lowering taxes for families and health care legislation.
Milleron, a lawyer whose daughter was killed in a 2019 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max, argued that the country’s economic conditions demand new leadership and policies that challenge corporate interests.
“We are facing a decline in our quality of life for the last 38 years,” Milleron said in her opening statement. “People are underwater; they can’t afford housing, food, gas, insurance, utilities.”
Asked how much revenue the federal government would lose under her proposal to eliminate federal income taxes on earnings below $100,000, Milleron estimated more than $300 billion annually. She said the shortfall could be offset by collecting unpaid taxes from corporations and ending spending on foreign wars.
“That isn’t even an issue because we are spending billions every month for foreign war, for endless war, and so we just have to stop spending that money,” she said.
Neal countered that his record showed he could deliver for the district.
“This election is about who has delivered for this congressional district,” he said.
In other notable moments, Milleron criticized Neal for declining to participate in a one-hour debate offered by 22News, and Neal questioned whether Milleron would caucus with Democrats or Republicans if elected.
Tariffs
Tariffs emerged as another point of contention.
Milleron said targeted tariffs could protect domestic manufacturing jobs by encouraging companies to produce goods in the United States, pointing to countries such as Germany and India. She supports tariffs backed by labor unions but opposes how Trump has implemented them.
“You don’t have to pay any extra money for a tariff because it is an incentive for a company to produce products in the United States,” she said.
Neal argued that Trump’s tariffs have contributed to higher consumer costs and strained relationships with U.S. allies, particularly Canada. He said tariffs should be subject to congressional approval.
“Rather than using a scalpel, the president is using a bazooka,” he said, criticizing what he described as the administration’s use of tariffs for political retaliation.
Democratic leadership
The candidates also discussed leadership in a potentially Democratic-controlled House, should the party retake the majority in that chamber on Election Day.
Neal said he would vote for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to become speaker, citing their close working relationship and the importance of leadership in advancing legislation.
“Having a good relationship with the speaker of the House is essential to getting legislation passed,” Neal said. “He trusts me; I trust him. It’s going to be a strong relationship.”
Milleron said she would support a Democratic speaker if her vote determined control of the chamber, provided the arrangement helped advance her proposals on taxes and healthcare. She argued that an independent representative could challenge party leadership and withhold support to force action on legislation.
“Caucusing does not mean agreeing,” she said.
Iran, AI, insider trading
On military action in Iran, both candidates opposed unauthorized offensive operations.
Neal said he would vote to prohibit funding for offensive military operations without congressional authorization while preserving funding to protect U.S. troops.
“I’m one of the few people that voted against the war in Iraq,” he said.
Neal described the conflict in Iran as a war of choice that was driving up costs for American households.
“We’re paying for higher fuel costs. We’re paying higher costs for the food that we eat,” he said.
Milleron said she would authorize funding for defensive but not offensive operations.
“Only defensive action would I authorize to fund, not aggressive action as we are doing today,” she said, criticizing what she described as endless foreign wars that enrich powerful interests.
Both candidates also said members of Congress should be prohibited from trading individual stocks while in office.
“I’m against members of Congress trading stocks. Period,” Neal said, adding that he had never traded a stock during his time in Congress.
Milleron argued that political action committee contributions can create conflicts of interest. She said her campaign was largely self-funded with money from the legal case involving her daughter’s death, along with some individual contributions.
“I don’t have any PAC money. I don’t have any organizations giving money to me,” she said, while criticizing Neal for accepting PAC contributions.
The candidates agreed that the federal government should establish safeguards for artificial intelligence. However, they offered few specific legislative proposals.
Neal said Congress should establish standards to prevent AI from undermining human judgment while avoiding unnecessary restrictions on innovation.
“We don’t want to ever substitute our human values for artificial intelligence,” he said.
He warned that the technology could significantly affect employment and called for congressional oversight.
“I think it’s going to have a big impact on jobs,” Neal said. “We need to be prepared for that eventuality.”
Milleron raised concerns about the energy and water demands of data centers, arguing that their resource consumption could drive up costs for consumers.
Voters in the following communities in Hampshire and Franklin counties will choose between Neal and Milleron: Belchertown, Cummington, Easthampton, Granby, Huntington, Middlefield, Plainfield, South Hadley, Southampton, Ware, Worthington, Charlemont, Hawley, Monroe and Rowe.
According to Federal Election Commission data compiled by VoteSee through Sept. 30, Neal had raised $2.8 million, compared with $550,000 for Milleron.
