Down the ballot: More on Tsongas’ win
Posted: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 9:05 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
2008
Niki Tsongas, widow of Paul Tsongas, defeated Jim Ogonowski in a special election in Massachusetts’ fifth congressional district, 51%-45%, the Boston Globe writes.
Democratic House campaign committee chairman Chris Van Hollen released a statement congratulating Tsongas’ win. “Massachusetts voters sent a clear message, they support candidates who fight for their values to provide children’s health care and work to end the war in Iraq.”
The GOP House campaign committee released its own take on what it called Tsongas’ “severely underperforming single digit victory.” “Democrats wrongly assumed they could continue to ride the 2006 wave to overwhelming victory in the bluest of blue states. Instead, in what should have been an election blow-out, Republican candidate Jim Ogonowski kept it close to the end, proving a major shift in the national political environment that, until now, was favorable to Democrat candidates nationwide.”
NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli reports in from both victory parties in Lowell, Mass., last night. Asked what other Republicans can learn from his effort, Ogonowski said: "Have a good message, stick to it, and stick to your convictions." "People came up to me throughout the campaign and said, 'Jeez, if you'd just change your position on this,’” Ogonowski said. "I said, 'Every one of my positions comes from right from here. Not from what polls say. It came from the heart.'" He would not rule out seeking a rematch in 2008, saying he'd first take some time to reflect with his family
Tsongas, in an interview at her victory party in Lowell, said her victory was an endorsement of her party's platform -- of bringing an end to the war in Iraq and expanding health insurance. "Those issues remain important," Tsongas said. "The voters really feel very strongly about them, and … as Democrats we have to move that agenda forward.”
