Massachusetts's 5th congressional district special election, 2007
Encyclopedia
Massachusetts
held a special election to fill a vacancy in Massachusetts's 5th congressional district
on October 16, 2007. Democrat Niki Tsongas
won election to congress defeating Republican
Jim Ogonowski in an election that was closer than expected.
Incumbent representative Marty Meehan
resigned, effective July 1, 2007, to become the next Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Lowell
. Meehan last won re-election in 2006
with 99.9% of the vote; he was unopposed.
A primary election
was held on September 4, 2007 to determine each political party's nominee for the general election. Niki Tsongas won the Democratic primary race and Jim Ogonowski won the Republican primary race.
This district is regarded as strongly Democratic as it voted 58% for John Kerry
for President in 2004. Massachusetts has not elected a Republican to Congress since Peter Blute and Peter Torkildsen were last elected to office in 1994: they both were defeated in 1996. No Republican has held this seat since Paul W. Cronin
departed from office in 1975, after his defeat by Democrat Paul Tsongas
in 1974.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
held a special election to fill a vacancy in Massachusetts's 5th congressional district
Massachusetts's 5th congressional district
Massachusetts's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in northeastern Massachusetts. It contains the cities of Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, and Methuen...
on October 16, 2007. Democrat Niki Tsongas
Niki Tsongas
Nicola Dickson "Niki" Sauvage Tsongas is the U.S. Representative for , serving since a special election in 2007. She is a member of the Democratic Party.She is the widow of U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas, who represented the 5th district in the 1970s...
won election to congress defeating Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Jim Ogonowski in an election that was closer than expected.
Incumbent representative Marty Meehan
Marty Meehan
Martin Thomas "Marty" Meehan is an American attorney and politician from the state of Massachusetts. He is the current Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Lowell, a position he assumed on July 1, 2007...
resigned, effective July 1, 2007, to become the next Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Lowell
University of Massachusetts Lowell
The University of Massachusetts Lowell is a public university in Lowell, Massachusetts, and part of the University of Massachusetts system...
. Meehan last won re-election in 2006
United States House elections, 2006
- House of Representatives prior to the election :As of November 7, 2006, the U.S. House of the 109th Congress was composed of 229 Republicans, 201 Democrats and 1 Independent . There were also four vacancies...
with 99.9% of the vote; he was unopposed.
A primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
was held on September 4, 2007 to determine each political party's nominee for the general election. Niki Tsongas won the Democratic primary race and Jim Ogonowski won the Republican primary race.
This district is regarded as strongly Democratic as it voted 58% for John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
for President in 2004. Massachusetts has not elected a Republican to Congress since Peter Blute and Peter Torkildsen were last elected to office in 1994: they both were defeated in 1996. No Republican has held this seat since Paul W. Cronin
Paul W. Cronin
Paul William Cronin was a one-term congressman of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts.Cronin was born in Boston, Massachusetts on March 14, 1938 and graduated from Boston University in 1962 and the John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1969...
departed from office in 1975, after his defeat by Democrat Paul Tsongas
Paul Tsongas
Paul Efthemios Tsongas was a United States Senator from Massachusetts from 1979 to 1985. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 1992 presidential election. He previously served as a U.S...
in 1974.
Candidates
- All candidates for the election are listed alphabetically first by party, then by name. Bold is primary winners and general election candidates.
Constitution
- Kevin Thompson - State Constitution PartyConstitution Party (United States)The Constitution Party is a paleoconservative political party in the United States. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party by Howard Philips in 1991. Phillips was the party's candidate in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 presidential elections...
Secretary from BrocktonBrockton, MassachusettsBrockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 93,810 in the 2010 Census. Brockton, along with Plymouth, are the county seats of Plymouth County...
Democratic
- Eileen DonoghueEileen DonoghueEileen Donoghue is a Democratic member of the Massachusetts Senate, representing the 1st Middlesex district. She has served since January 2011. Donoghue is an attorney and a former mayor and city councilor of Lowell, Massachusetts...
- City Councilor and former LowellLowell, MassachusettsLowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
Mayor - Jamie EldridgeJamie EldridgeJames B. "Jamie" Eldridge is a Massachusetts State Senator from the Middlesex and Worcester District. He was a candidate in Massachusetts's 5th congressional district special election, 2007, finishing third in the five-way election...
- State RepresentativeMassachusetts House of RepresentativesThe Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
from ActonActon, MassachusettsActon is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States about twenty-one miles west-northwest of Boston along Route 2 west of Concord and about ten miles southwest of Lowell. The population was 21,924 at the 2010 census... - Barry FinegoldBarry FinegoldBarry R. Finegold is a Democratic member of the Massachusetts Senate representing the Second Essex and Middlesex district. He has served since January 2011...
- State RepresentativeMassachusetts House of RepresentativesThe Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
from AndoverAndover, MassachusettsAndover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201... - Jim MiceliJim MiceliJames "Jim" Miceli is an American Democratic politician, currently representing Middlesex County's 19th district in the Massachusetts State Legislature....
- State RepresentativeMassachusetts House of RepresentativesThe Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
from WilmingtonWilmington, MassachusettsWilmington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 22,325 at the 2010 census.-History:Wilmington was first settled in 1665 and was officially incorporated in 1730, from parts of Woburn, Reading and Billerica. Minutemen from Wilmington responded to the alarm... - Niki TsongasNiki TsongasNicola Dickson "Niki" Sauvage Tsongas is the U.S. Representative for , serving since a special election in 2007. She is a member of the Democratic Party.She is the widow of U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas, who represented the 5th district in the 1970s...
- Dean at Middlesex Community College from Lowell, and widow of Paul Tsongas
Independent
- Kurt Hayes - Businessman from BoxboroughBoxborough, MassachusettsBoxborough is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,996 at the 2010 census. The town name is often spelled "Boxboro" on highway signs and official documents, but the correct spelling is, in fact, Boxborough....
- Patrick Murphy - BricklayerBricklayerA bricklayer or mason is a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork. The term also refers to personnel who use blocks to construct blockwork walls and other forms of masonry. In British and Australian English, a bricklayer is colloquially known as a "brickie".The training of a trade in...
from LowellLowell, MassachusettsLowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
Republican
- Jim Ogonowski - Former Air Force Lt. Colonel from Dracut
- Thomas TierneyThomas Tierney-Biography:Tierney was born in Galway's Mainguard Street, the son of John Tierney of Hollymount, County Mayo, and Harriett Kinnevey of Roscahill, County Galway. He had siblings Jack and Mary. The family ran a grocery...
- Self-Employed Independent Consulting ActuaryActuaryAn actuary is a business professional who deals with the financial impact of risk and uncertainty. Actuaries provide expert assessments of financial security systems, with a focus on their complexity, their mathematics, and their mechanisms ....
from Framingham
Democratic
- James DiPaolaJames DiPaolaJames Vincent DiPaola was county sheriff of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, from 1996 until his death in 2010. He had served as a Malden police officer for 18 years and was a Massachusetts state representative from 1993 to 1996. On November 26, 2010, DiPaola committed suicide...
- Middlesex CountyMiddlesex County, Massachusetts-National protected areas:* Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge* Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Longfellow National Historic Site* Lowell National Historical Park* Minute Man National Historical Park* Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge...
Sheriff - David O'Brien - Democratic National CommitteeDemocratic National CommitteeThe Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
member from ConcordConcord, MassachusettsConcord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
Republican
- Fred SmerlasFred SmerlasFrederic Charles Smerlas is a former American football defensive lineman who was a 5-time NFL Pro Bowl selection during 14-year career as a nose tackle with the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and New England Patriots.Smerlas, of Greek-American descent, graduated from Waltham High School in...
- Former NFL defensive lineman - Michael J. SullivanMichael J. Sullivan (mayor)Michael J. Sullivan was the mayor of the City of Lawrence, Massachusetts. A Republican, Sullivan became the mayor in 2001 after beating Isabel Melendez...
- Mayor of LawrenceLawrence, MassachusettsLawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 76,377. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are...
Democratic Primary
| Source | Date | Donoghue (D) | Eldridge (D) | Finegold (D) | Miceli (D) | Tsongas (D) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survey USA | Aug 27-29, 2007 | 29% | 15% | 9% | 3% | 40% | ||
| Survey USA | Aug 11-13, 2007 | 16% | 13% | 14% | 4% | 38% | ||
| Kiley & Company | Aug 8-9, 2007 | 18% | 16% | 13% | 4% | 34% | ||
| JEF Associates | Aug 6-7, 2007 | 22% | 7% | 8% | 4% | 28% | ||
| Kiley & Company | Jul 15, 2007 | 13% | 12% | 10% | 4% | 36% | ||
| JEF Associates | Jun 28-30, 2007 | 17% | 10% | 13% | 4% | 26% | ||
| Kiley & Company | May 22, 2007 | 9% | 10% | 11% | 3% | 38% | ||
| Garin-Hart-Yang Research | May 3-4, 2007 | 13% | 5% | 10% | 4% | 36% | DiPaola (D) | O'Brien (D) |
| Kiley & Company | Mar 23-24, 2007 | 9% | 9% | 8% | 3% | 35% | 6% | 3% |
Republican Primary
| Source | Date | Ogonowski (R) | Tierney (R) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey USA | Aug 27-29, 2007 | 72% | 12% |
General Election
| Source | Date | Ogonowski (R) | Tsongas (D) | Thompson (C) | Hayes (I) | Murphy (I) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survey USA | Oct 8-10, 2007 | 42% | 51% | 0% | 2% | 4% |
| RCCC Poll | Oct 1-5, 2007 | 39% | 44% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Survey USA | Sep 7-9, 2007 | 41% | 51% | 2% | 2% | 1% |
Results
Bold indicates winner of nomination. Source: http://www.thebostonchannel.com/politics/14003157/detail.htmlGeneral Election
Democratic Primary
| Candidates | Democratic Primary Election, Sep 4 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Percent |
| Niki Tsongas | Democratic | 19,811 | 35.69% |
| Eileen Donoghue | Democratic | 17,373 | 31.29% |
| Jamie Eldridge | Democratic | 8,041 | 14.48% |
| Barry Finegold | Democratic | 6,996 | 12.60% |
| Jim Miceli | Democratic | 3,296 | 5.94% |
Republican Primary
| Candidates | Republican Primary Election, Sep 4 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Percent |
| Jim Ogonowski | Republican | 12,014 | 89.04% |
| Tom Tierney | Republican | 1,479 | 10.96% |
Democratic
- Eileen Donoghue for Congress web site
- Jamie Eldridge for Congress web site
- Barry Finegold for Congress web site
- Jim Miceli for Congress web site
- Niki Tsongas for Congress web site