Democrat Richie Neal has represented Massachusetts' 2nd congressional district since 1989. Neal was mayor of Springfield from 1984 to 1989.
One of the first Democrats in Congress to criticize President Bush's war strategy, Neal made his mark during the Clinton administration working for peace in Ireland. A ranking Democrat today, Neal is currently a member of both the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Budget Committee.
Neal started his career in politics in 1973 as an assistant to Springfield Mayor William C. Sullivan. In 1978, he was elected to the Springfield City Council.
Born Richard Edmund Neal on February 14, 1949, he is a former Catholic high school teacher. He attended American International College and earned a master's degree from the University of Hartford. He resides in Springfield with his wife. Neal teaches a journalism course at the UMass Amherst called "The Politician and the Journalist."
