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March 19, 2007

Niki Tsongas: Out of the Gate

If this is a horse race, it didn't take Niki Tsongas long to get out of the starting gate in the Fifth District sprint for Congress. The pedigreed Democrat has signed up a 100 prominent loyalists to serve on her campaign finance committee. The names represent some prominent people, including Lowell businessman George Behrakis; former state energy secretary Joseph Fitzpatrick of Lowell; state Democratic party treasurer M.J. Powell; former Democratic National Committee chair Steve Grossman; women’s activist and philanthropist Barbara Lee; former Lieutenant Governor Tom O’Neill; Swanee Hunt, who served as ambassador to Austria in the Clinton Administration; and Dennis Kanin, Paul Tsongas’ chief of staff and manager of the Tsongas’ Congressional, Senate and Presidential Campaigns.

But get this, Tsongas announced that she's already banked $140,000 in campaign donations!
The race is only a week old. Not bad for someone who has never been in a campaign of her own.

Obviously, Niki Tsongas has learned well for her late husband Paul, the U.S. Senator who did so much for Lowell, the region and the state. Some political observers say that Niki actually advised Paul on many important campaign issues. We'll find out soon enough Niki's got the right stuff for the election grind. But so far she's made all the right moves. She's gotten a campaign staff up and running in a matter of days and put money in the bank to boot.
From now until April 15, which is the first disclosure deadline for federal campaign donations, candidates will be vying to fill their war chests. This is a signal of political viability and credibility. Everyone likes to back a winner, and donors now holding tight to their checkbooks will loosen up the pursestrings once they see who is capturing the big bucks.

It's early, but Niki Tsongas has jumped in front in the all-important race for campaign cash.

Posted by JimC at March 19, 2007 5:01 PM