Getting to know the Holyoke man running for Lieutenant Governor

Most other candidates in the Governor's race may be from the eastern part of the state, but the Stein campaign has the honor of featuring Rick Purcell, the only person involved in the race from western Massachusetts. He's a long-term resident of Holyoke, a distinguished community activist, a compassionate health care worker, and decorated US Army veteran who served 10 years of active duty. And now he's running as Jill Stein's running mate for the position of Lieutenant Governor.

Rick has been a resident of Massachusetts since 1974, when he moved to Holyoke with his mother and siblings from the Tohatchi Indian Reservation in northern New Mexico. A graduate of the Holyoke and Chicopee Public Schools, Rick served 10 years of active duty in the US Army, most recently as an air evacuation medic in Operation Desert Storm. Honorably discharged, Rick returned to Holyoke in 1992 to continue his career in health care at Baystate Health System, where he currently works an an ergonomics specialist to prevent and treat repetitive stress injuries.

Since returning to Holyoke, Rick has been a true and relentless voice for his community. Time and time again, Rick Purcell has lead the fight to hold local government accountable to its citizens, calling for increased community oversight over the city charter commission, police relations, and the operation of city services. Rick chaired the citizens group opposing privatization of city waste treatment, initiated ballot campaigns to form a police commission, and in 2006, ran for City Council, garnering 33% of the vote and the endorsement of the AFL-CIO in his first bid for elected office.

A passionate veteran who has served as commander of United Veterans of Holyoke and was elected to four terms as Commander of the War Memorial American Legion Post #25, Rick is a strong supporter of Veterans for Peace, calling for us to “Honor the Dead, Heal the Wounded, and Bring Home the Troops.” As Rick noted this Memorial Day, “we owe it to our veterans to fight the battle here to end the unnecessary wars. We need to make sure that the $10 million that Massachusetts spends every day on those wars is brought back home to take care of our schools, hospitals, and veteran’s centers. And to give our veteran’s some green jobs that won’t destroy our environment…. That’s how we can really honor our veterans.”

For more about Rick and ways to help out, please visit http://rickpurcell.org/.