BERKSHIRE COUNTY, Mass. - Congressman Richard Neal has represented communities in central and western Massachusetts for more than 35 years.

Neal is running again saying he has delivered results in the Berkshires with the reopening of North Adams hospital, funding for Greylock Glen, working on plans for the future of Wahconah Park and the Pact Act for veterans.

“Many of the successful legislative initiatives that we’ve had that have now been signed into law, including the Inflation Reduction Act, the infrastructure bill comes to mind, the rescue package, the CHIPS Act, the Butch Lewis Act, postal reform that we were able to author...I think all of that will be to the benefit of the people of southern Worcester county,” said Rep. Neal.

When asked about other national issues, Neal says he is in favor of immigration reform. 

“We need a process. You need to know who’s inside of the country. We can’t have a million people walking across the border without knowing who they are, so I’ve been in favor of immigration reform for a long period of time,” said Neal.

Running against Rep. Neal is independent candidate Nadia Milleron. 

She says the issues most important to her are stopping fentanyl from making it across the border and bringing more healthcare professionals to the district. 

“We have to confront the problem. We have to bring in more nurses, more nurse practitioners, more dentists...we have to bring in more mental health professionals to our district, so we just have to take affirmative actions to do that,” Nadia Milleron said.

Milleron says issues involving the job market and cost of living are also important to her. 

“I have issues that more directly affect our district that I want to focus on so manufacturing, increasing manufacturing making sure people have good wage jobs in our district, and increasing the number of healthcare professionals, increasing access to food increasing access to affordable housing,” Milleron said.

Early voting in Massachusetts ends Nov. 1.