Free Republic

LOWELL, Mass. --The widow of 1992 presidential candidate Paul Tsongas defeated the brother of an American Airlines pilot slain in the Sept. 11 terror attacks Tuesday in the special election to replace Democrat Martin Meehan in the U.S. House. Democrat Niki Tsongas of Lowell edged Republican Jim Ogonowski of Dracut, whose brother John died when his plane was hijacked and flown in the World Trade Center. With 170 of 195 precincts reporting, she had 51 percent of the vote to 46 percent for Ogonowski.

Tonight we could see a Republican elected to Congress from Massachusetts. Rob Willington, the executive director of the Massachusetts Republican Party is covering Election Day from the inside... Check it out and be the first to find out what's happening in this historic election!

Congressional Republicans have been contributing thousands of dollars to Massachusetts special-election candidate Jim Ogonowski in the run-up to Tuesday’s contest, and the candidate should reward their investment with, at the very least, a test case of how to run in an unfriendly environment.

........Besides pulling more celebrity contributors than her Republican foe, the 61-year-old Tsongas has raked in more than twice as much cash altogether, and five times more from out of state than retired Air Force Lt. Col. Jim Ogonowski, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The comedy show that is the Niki Tsongas campaign keeps on giving us gems. In an interview on the "NightSide with Dan Rea" radio program on Thursday night, Niki Tsongas refused to call illegal immigrants just that. She said she prefers "undocumented workers", Dan Rea called her on it and said, what if they aren't working. Watch the video to find out Niki's response.

Have you given to Jim Ogonowski yet? The Democrats are worried about this seat, and they should be. To be sure, Ogonowski is not the pure through and through conservative I'd like. But frankly guys, we can't expect that in places like Massachusetts if we want to get back in the majority. Sometimes, in some places, we have to accept that there are people to the left of us who still vote "R." I'm not saying I'd back Ogonowski if he were in Georgia or Texas or Missouri or even out in CA-04 where the incumbent Republican is to the...

I was at the Ogonowski - Tsongas debate in Andover, MA yesterday. No surprise from Tsongas who came across as a big govt liberal who will be the lapdog of Pelosi and Hillary. She said what a liberal democrat is supposed to say and will most likely win the seat because she is a Democrat in MA (that is usually all it takes here). Ogonowski's performance is what concerned me. He flat out said that the decision to go into Iraq was wrong and we should never have gone in. He did say that now that we are there we...

Lt. Col. Jim Ogonowski (R) is making an unexpectedly spirited challenge to Niki Tsongas (D) for the fifth district seat recently vacated by Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.). The election is October 16. Republican registration in the district is 14 percent (yes, you're reading that correctly, one-four) but Ogonowski is trailing Paul Tsongas's widow by just ten points in a public poll, ten points in Republican internal polls, and supposedly just five points in an internal Democratic poll. If there is a way for Republicans to win, it is to campaign against Washington, as an outsider — as Ogonowski has done....

The nation's top Democrats are paying attention to Dracut farmer and Republican candidate for Congress, Jim Ogonowski. On Sunday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hosted a fundraiser for Niki Tsongas, the Democrat running against Ogonowski, in the race to represent the Fifth Congressional district. The seat opened when Democrat Martin T. Meehan stepped down to become chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. A special election is scheduled for Oct. 16.

Last week, a SurveyUSA/WBZ poll out of Boston caused a minor earthquake in the Massachusetts political universe. The race to replace liberal Congressman Marty Meehan was supposed to be a sleepy affair leading to a walk-in-the-park victory for Democrat Niki Tsongas, the well-known wife of the late Senator Paul Tsongas. So it came as quite a surprise when the poll showed Republican Jim Ogonowski, a farmer and veteran from the Merrimack Valley, within 10 points of Tsongas. Tsongas polled just 51 percent to Ogonowski's 41 percent. In any political environment, a win by Ogonowski on October 16th would be considered...

Democratic candidate Eileen Donoghue has conceded the primary race for the vacant 5th District Congressional seat to Niki Tsongas. In the Republican primary, James Ogonowski has won 89 percent of the votes to Thomas Tierney's 11 percent. For complete election results, pick up Wednesday's The Eagle-Tribune. 191 of 195 precincts reporting Democratic primary Nicola Tsongas: 19,296 - 36 percent Eileen Donoghue: 17, 175 - 32 percent James Eldrige: 7,592 - 14 percent Barry Finegold: 6,938 - 13 percent James Miceli: 3,280 - 6 percent Republicans Jim Ogonowski: 11,642 - 89 percent Thomas Tierney: 1,436 - 11 percent

In the wake of last week's SurveyUSA-CBS4 poll , Niki Tsongas has asked Bill Clinton to Come into town to shore up support. The Boston Globe is reporting that Clinton's coming to town. The former Democratic president will be in Lowell on September 30 to campaign for Tsongas in her contest against Republican Jim Ogonowski. Clinton calls Tsongas a strong candidate. A rally will be held at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium. Tsongas says she invited Clinton after sewing up the Democratic nomination earlier this month. Bill Clinton doesn't come into a blue state to campaign unless the Democrat may lose....