Tsongas Wins Battle of the Fifth District

Democrat Niki Tsongas won today's race to replace Rep. Marty Meehan in the Fifth Congressional District.

Tsongas, who was backed by some serious Democrat firepower, defeated Republican Jim Ogonowski. Ogonowski put up a fight when it came to percentages. Tsongas had 51 percent of the vote, while Ogonowski had 45 percent.

Tsongas is the widow of the late Senator and one-time presidential candidate Paul Tsongas and a dean at Middlesex Community College. She is the first woman to represent Massachusetts since 1983.

If the race boiled down to Democrat vs. Republican, liberals vs. conservatives, or Gore vs. Bush, then the results of the battle aren't clear--unless you're Niki Tsongas. With the close results, it seems as if voters are as split as they ever were.