August 10, 2004: Headlines: COS - Ethiopia: Congress: Politics: Election2004 - Tsongas: Lowell Sun : Kerry win could clear way for another Tsongas in Senate

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Ethiopia: Special Report: Ethiopia RPCV, Senator and Presidential Candidate Paul Tsongas: August 10, 2004: Headlines: COS - Ethiopia: Congress: Politics: Election2004 - Tsongas: The Boston Channel: Paul Tsongas' Widow May Run For Senate Seat : August 10, 2004: Headlines: COS - Ethiopia: Congress: Politics: Election2004 - Tsongas: Lowell Sun : Kerry win could clear way for another Tsongas in Senate

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-239-147.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.239.147) on Tuesday, August 17, 2004 - 10:42 am: Edit Post

Kerry win could clear way for another Tsongas in Senate

Kerry win could clear way for another Tsongas in Senate

Kerry win could clear way for another Tsongas in Senate

Kerry win could clear way for another Tsongas in Senate

By JASON LEFFERTS, Sun Staff

Niki Tsongas is considering running for the same U.S. Senate seat her husband Paul held for one term if it opens up this fall.

Tsongas is one of several potential candidates sizing up their chances if John Kerry wins the presidency in November and vacates his Senate seat. With a special election to fill out the three-plus years left on the term to be scheduled for the spring, aspirations need to become campaigns soon.

Tsongas said she would make a decision in the next several weeks, in order to begin raising the millions necessary for a competitive run.

"I know the power of the U.S. Senate. I know what you can do. I know the depth and breadth of the issues you can think about," Tsongas said. "I think about the future of all our children, and I think it's long overdue to elect a woman for Senate."

Paul Tsongas won the seat in 1978, and served one term before not running for re-election in 1984 because he was battling cancer (he died from complications of cancer in 1997). Kerry won the seat, topping a crowded Democratic field in the primary and beating Republican Ray Shamie.

It would likely be a large field on the Democratic ballot if the seat were to open up. U.S. Reps. Marty Meehan of Lowell and Edward Markey of Malden are already raising money for a run. Other House members, like Barney Frank of Newton and Stephen Lynch of South Boston, are considering running for the seat. Others like former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger have been mentioned as potential candidates.

In the last few weeks, a list of potential women candidates has started forming, and Democratic activists have expressed a desire to see a woman on the ballot. Along with Tsongas, Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley is exploring a run, and some Democrats are hoping former treasurer and 2002 gubernatorial candidate Shannon O'Brien runs (although she is considered a longshot to enter the race).

Coakley declined to comment yesterday on Tsongas' potential run.

Meehan said Tsongas would "make a great candidate for any public office," and said the candidacy of Tsongas or anyone else would not change his plans.

He said he anticipated a number of women on the ballot, and it would do the state good to have a woman in Washington. Currently, all 12 of the state's congressmen and senators are men.

"Women need to run for office, and I think it's really unfortunate that we don't have a member of the delegation that's a woman," Meehan said. "In the time I've been in Congress, the number of women has increased significantly, but I think Massachusetts needs to do a better job."

Tsongas said she would be keeping an eye on the field and measuring up woman candidates.

"It would be all part of the consideration," she said. "I would have to talk all those things into account, just as they would take into account I'm going into the race."

Tsongas said she was first approached about running about a month ago, and a number of people have encouraged her to run, especially during last month's Democratic National Convention. She said she has talked to some of her husband's campaign operatives about working for her, but said she would also bring fresh faces into her campaign organization.

Tsongas is comfortable in the public spotlight, having campaigned for her husband when he ran for Senate, and then nationally when he ran for president in 1992 and won the New Hampshire primary before running out of steam against Bill Clinton. She no longer lives in Lowell, having moved to Charlestown last year.

If Tsongas were to run, she would be butting heads with some of the state's most entrenched politicians. Meehan, Markey and Frank all have been in Congress for years. Harshbarger has run three statewide campaigns for attorney general or governor. Coakley is considered one of the state Democratic Party's rising stars. Tsongas said this would be her first run for election, but not her first campaign.

"I'm not afraid of the longshot at all," Tsongas said. "I recognize it as a challenge, but in the presidential campaign I campaigned all over the country. I was extensively involved in all of Paul's campaigns. I feel I have a great deal of experience in campaigning."

Jason Lefferts' e-mail address is jlefferts@lowellsun.com .





When this story was prepared, this was the front page of PCOL magazine:

This Month's Issue: August 2004 This Month's Issue: August 2004
Teresa Heinz Kerry celebrates the Peace Corps Volunteer as one of the best faces America has ever projected in a speech to the Democratic Convention. The National Review disagreed and said that Heinz's celebration of the PCV was "truly offensive." What's your opinion and who can come up with the funniest caption for our Current Events Funny?

Exclusive: Director Vasquez speaks out in an op-ed published exclusively on the web by Peace Corps Online saying the Dayton Daily News' portrayal of Peace Corps "doesn't jibe with facts."

In other news, the NPCA makes the case for improving governance and explains the challenges facing the organization, RPCV Bob Shaconis says Peace Corps has been a "sacred cow", RPCV Shaun McNally picks up support for his Aug 10 primary and has a plan to win in Connecticut, and the movie "Open Water" based on the negligent deaths of two RPCVs in Australia opens August 6. Op-ed's by RPCVs: Cops of the World is not a good goal and Peace Corps must emphasize community development.





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Story Source: Lowell Sun

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Ethiopia; Congress; Politics; Election2004 - Tsongas

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