The 5th congressional district of Massachusetts will hold a special election today, choosing a successor to Congressman Marty Meehan. Republican James Ogonowski has been running a campaign based on fear of terrorist attack. Niki Tsongas, the widow of Paul Tsongas and the Democrat in the race, on the other hand, is running on a more broad-based agenda of withdrawing the American military from Iraq on a timetable, reforming health care and education, and confronting the growing impacts of global warming.
Also running is Patrick Murphy, on a generally progressive political agenda. Those voters in the 5th district who are sick of the unfulfilled promises of the Democrats may well choose to vote for him.
