Niki Tsongas

Niki Tsongas has been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 5th District of Massachusetts, since 2007 (map). She won the Democratic nomination to fill the seat left vacant by Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) in July 2007.

2007 elections
Tsongas sought to replace Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) who retired on July 1, 2007 to become Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. She ran against Jim Ogonowski, who won the Republican nomination.

On September 4, 2007, Tsongas won the special Democratic primary for the seat, defeating Lowell City Councilor Eileen Donoghue 36-32, with other candidates, James Eldridge, Barry Finegold and James Miceli, all State Reps, getting 14, 13 and 6 percent of the vote, respectively.

Won special elections
With a 51-46 lead over Republican Jim Ogonowski, on October 16, 2007, Tsongas won the Massachusetts special election replacing Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.). Tsongas, the widow of former Sen. Paul Tsongas (D-Mass.), was sworn into her husband's former seat. “Niki will be a tremendous asset to the Democratic caucus. 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,” said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).

Committees

 * House Committee on Armed Services
 * House Committee on Budget

Contact
DC Office 2229 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-3411 Fax: (202) 226-0771 Web mail Web site

Lowell, MA Office 11 Kearney Square, 3rd Floor Lowell, MA 01852 Phone: (978) 459-0101 Fax: (978) 459-1907

Lawrence, MA Office 305 Essex Street, 4th Floor Lawrence, MA 01840 Phone: (978) 681-6200 Fax: (978) 682-6070

Related SourceWatch articles

 * 2008 U.S. congressional elections
 * 2008 U.S. congressional election dates
 * Portal:Massachusetts and the U.S. Congress

External resources

 * "Niki Tsongas, Democrat for Congress in Massachusetts," ''Official Niki Tsongas for Congress webiste.

External articles

 * Aaron Blake. "Tsongas and Ogonowski win in Mass. special primary," The Hill, September 5, 2007.