U.S. House, Massachusetts 1st Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Massachusetts's 1st Congressional District?
Richard Neal has the strongest record in Massachusetts's 1st Congressional District. Richard Neal scores 56 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Richard Neal's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Nadia Milleron (7 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Independent/Unenrolled
Nadia Milleron
On the ballot as Nadia Donya Milleron
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 7 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Richard Neal
On the ballot as Richard E. Neal
56 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 38
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Nadia Milleron
- On the record2026-08-11
Debated Democratic primary challenger Jeromie Whalen at a Springfield event sponsored by more than 40 nonprofits.
Source: The Reminder, Aug. 13, 2026
- On the record2026-05-13
A federal jury in Chicago awarded $49.5 million to the family of her daughter, Samya Stumo, killed in the 2019 Boeing 737 MAX crash in Ethiopia; Boeing had admitted responsibility.
- On the record2024-03-13
Launched an independent campaign against Rep. Neal in 2024, her first run for any office.
- On the record2019-10-30
Confronted Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg after his House testimony and told him he was no longer the person to solve the situation.
Source: CNN, Oct. 30, 2019
- Credit2019 to 2020
After her daughter died in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crash, she advocated for the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act, which Congress passed in December 2020.
Richard Neal
- On the record2026-08
Declined a community forum sponsored by 44 groups, saying its organizers backed his opponent, and took part in one televised primary debate on WWLP-TV.
Sources: NEPM, July 30, 2026, WAMC, July 30, 2026
- On the record2024-10-24
Politico reported his campaign committee paid $196,340 to a consulting and lobbying firm owned by his son; his campaign said the son never lobbied his office on Ways and Means business.
Sources: NEPM (State House News Service), Oct. 25, 2024, Western Mass News, Oct. 24, 2024
- On the record2021-01-06
Voted Nay on both House objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electors.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
- On the record2019
As Ways and Means chairman, faced reported criticism over campaign donations from health industry interests during the surprise medical billing debate; no official finding followed.
Source: NPR, Dec. 17, 2019
- Credit2022-04-08
His Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act, H.R. 7108, was signed into law with 14 Republican and 12 Democratic cosponsors.
Source: GovTrack, H.R. 7108 (117th)
- Credit2022
Provisions of his Securing a Strong Retirement Act, H.R. 2954, were enacted through other legislation.
Source: GovTrack, H.R. 2954 (117th)
- Credit2022-05-15
Bay Path University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
Source: Bay Path University, May 3, 2022
- Credit1984 to 1988
Served as mayor of Springfield before his 1988 election to the U.S. House.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Nadia Milleron. Filed a House candidate financial disclosure May 15, 2026; FEC reports on file through Sept. 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine or official finding found.
Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10078679, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00868927
Richard Neal. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed May 15, 2026; FEC reports on file. No House Ethics Committee finding naming him and no FEC administrative fine found. No periodic transaction reports in the Clerk index for 2019 to 2026.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10077376, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00226522
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Nadia Milleron. No public record found.
Richard Neal. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Nadia Milleron. Took part in an Aug. 11, 2026 candidate debate in Springfield with Democratic primary challenger Jeromie Whalen, sponsored by more than 40 local nonprofits.
Source: The Reminder, Aug. 13, 2026
Richard Neal. Debated Democratic primary challenger Jeromie Whalen on WWLP-TV on Aug. 26, 2026, after declining an Aug. 11 community forum. No general election debate with Nadia Milleron found.
Sources: NEPM, July 30, 2026, WAMC, Sept. 2, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Nadia Milleron. No public record found.
Richard Neal. Springfield city councilor and mayor before Congress and a U.S. representative since 1989, with no formal conduct finding found.
Sources: Office site, Biography, GovTrack, Richard Neal
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Nadia Milleron. No public record found.
Richard Neal. Voted Nay on both January 2021 objections to certified electors; did not vote on the 2005 Ohio objection; entered no 2017 objection. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 7, Jan. 6, 2005
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Nadia Milleron. Attorney (University of Iowa law degree, 1994) who began her career on child neglect and abuse cases, a farmer, and an aviation safety advocate since 2019. Has not held public office.
Richard Neal. U.S. representative since 1989, earlier mayor of Springfield from 1984 to 1988.
Sources: GovTrack, Richard Neal, Office site, Biography
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Nadia Milleron. Publishes issue positions, including eliminating federal income tax on income under $100,000, universal health care and term limits, mostly in general terms.
Sources: Campaign site, The Reminder, Aug. 13, 2026
Richard Neal. Ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee, which he chaired from 2019, and a member of the Joint Committee on Taxation.
Sources: GovTrack, Richard Neal, Office site, Biography
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Nadia Milleron. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey, took part in an August 2026 debate and publishes issue pages.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Nadia Milleron, The Reminder, Aug. 13, 2026, Campaign site
Richard Neal. Publishes issue pages on his campaign site and office site. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey, per the race page that lists only respondents. No 2026 debate found.
Source: Campaign site
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Nadia Milleron. Has lived on farmland in Sheffield since 1999, after moving to Massachusetts in 1982. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 23 percent of itemized individual contributions from Massachusetts.
Sources: The Berkshire Edge, March 13, 2024, FEC contribution totals by state
Richard Neal. Born in Worcester and raised and educated in Springfield, where he was mayor. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 27 percent of itemized individual contributions from Massachusetts.
Sources: Office site, Biography, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Nadia Milleron. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through Sept. 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00868927
Richard Neal. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through Aug. 12, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00226522
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Nadia Milleron. No public record found.
Richard Neal. Center for Effective Lawmaking rates him Below Expectations for the 118th Congress (LES 2.0 of 0.035 against 0.593). Raised to 2 under E14: his Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act became law in April 2022.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, H.R. 7108 (117th)
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Nadia Milleron. No public record found.
Richard Neal. Missed 1,147 of 22,875 roll call votes, 5.01 percent, from January 1989 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, Richard Neal
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Nadia Milleron. No public record found.
Richard Neal. Keeps district offices in Pittsfield and Springfield and offers help with federal agencies.
Source: Office site, home page
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Nadia Milleron. No public record found.
Richard Neal. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of minus 1.33005 in the latest posted House scores (2023), ranked 391 of 436, in the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Nadia Milleron. No public record found.
Richard Neal. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Massachusetts's 1st Congressional District?
Richard Neal has the strongest record in Massachusetts's 1st Congressional District. Richard Neal scores 56 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Richard Neal's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Nadia Milleron (7 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Massachusetts's 1st Congressional District in 2026?
Nadia Milleron (Independent/Unenrolled), Richard Neal (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Nadia Milleron a good candidate for Congress?
Nadia Milleron has public evidence on 7 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Richard Neal a good candidate for Congress?
Richard Neal scores 56 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 38 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Massachusetts race scored, and the Massachusetts 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.