LOWELL, Mass. (AP) – Democrat Niki Tsongas, widow of senator and presidential contender Paul Tsongas, and Republican Jim Ogonowski, whose brother was captain of one of the hijacked planes flown into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, won their respective primaries Tuesday to set up a general election race to replace U.S. Rep. Martin Meehan.
Tsongas bested four other Democrats on Tuesday in the primary. She battled vigorously with Lowell City Councilor Eileen Donoghue, who developed a robust election machine over 12 years in their home city of Lowell – the largest community in the 5th congressional district – but could not overcome the Tsongas name recognition.
Ogonowski, a retired Air Force colonel, easily defeated Thomas Tierney, of Framingham, a perennial candidate for the seat.
“It was nice to vote for myself,” said Tsongas, 61, whose husband won the 1992 New Hampshire Democratic primary before ceding the campaign to the “Comeback Kid,” then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton.
Tsongas won 36 percent or 19,811 votes compared to Donoghue’s 31 percent or 17,373 votes.
“I think we were fighting an uphill battle from Day One in this campaign,” Donoghue said, adding that she’s urged her supporters to help Tsongas ensure the district remains Democratic.
“The issues this country are facing are far too serious and we have to elect a democrat to help confront them,” she said.
The Democrats scheduled a “unity rally” for Wednesday morning to rally around the winner.
The other Democrats were never really in the fight: Rep. James Eldridge of Acton, won 14 percent or 8,041 votes; Rep. Barry Finegold of Andover, had 13 percent or 6,996 votes; and James Miceli of Wilmington, won 6 percent or 3,296 votes.
Ogonowski had no trouble with Tierney, commanding about 89 percent or 12,014 to 1,479 votes. But the GOP will have a much tougher time in the Oct. 16 general election both with President Bush’s low approval ratings nationally and the fact the district has not been represented by a Republican congressman since Paul Tsongas knocked off Rep. Paul W. Cronin in 1974.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun and I’m going to enjoy each and every day,” Ogonowski said.
Ogonowski cited his local roots in explaining his candidacy, but he added: “Obviously the impact 9/11 had on me reaffirmed my belief that national security has to remain No. 1, and we have to remain aware that evil in the hearts of just a few people can cause great destruction to this entire country.” On the campaign trail, he often evoked the memory of his brother, John, captain of American Airlines Flight 11.
In an interview Tuesday night with WBZ-AM, Ogonowski sought to distance himself from the president, saying if Bush were to offer to campaign for him, he would politely decline.
But Tsongas in her victory speech said: “This is just round one. Make no mistake. This election will be a referendum on the presidency of George W. Bush.”
Two independents, Kurt Hayes and Patrick Murphy, and Kevin Thompson, a representative of the Constitution Party, were also slated to be on the general election ballot.
The state’s current congressional delegation is all-male, and all-Democrat. The 5th district has not elected a woman since Edith Nourse Rogers of Lowell, who died in 1960 amid her 19th congressional campaign.
Meehan, a Democrat, announced in March he was resigning after 14 years in Congress to become chancellor of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.
The rare open congressional seat sparked a spirited campaign that featured 23 debates. It also split Lowell between two prominent women: Tsongas, whose husband help resurrect the city by turning its mill buildings into a national park, and Donoghue, a city attorney who Paul Tsongas first recruited her to run for political office.
Niki Tsongas enjoyed establishment support, with the Washington group Emily’s List helping her with fundraising, and with Ellen Murphy Meehan – the former congressman’s wife – signing on as campaign chairman. As of Aug. 15, Tsongas had raised $1.26 million.
Donoghue enjoyed the backing of a legion of supporters who had already voted for her in six citywide elections. As of Aug. 15, Donoghue had raised only $627,000, including a $350,000 personal loan from herself. The total was only about half of what Tsongas had raised.
In the final weeks of the election, though, Donoghue contributed another $140,000 for television commercials as local media polls showed her closing the gap.
Election officials said turnout was low, particularly because of the timing of the primary – coming immediately after a three-day holiday weekend and the day before many children in the district went back to school.
AP-ES-09-04-07 2319EDT
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