Ogonowski Wants to Challenge Kerry for Senate Seat
Jim Ogonowski, the Republican farmer and retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who gave Niki Tsongas (the widow of Paul Tsongas) such a tough battle for a Massachusetts Congressional seat last year, says he's going to run for the Republican nomination to battle Sen. John Kerry. Kerry has been in office since 1985.
The Boston Herald reports that Ogonowski, the brother of the pilot of an American Airlines flight that was hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11, 2001, says he will fight illegal immigration, reduce US military presence in Iraq, and wean the nation off oil imports. He will also strive to return government to the people and stand up to special interest groups and Washington insiders.
"With the lowest approval ratings in history, it is clear that Washington is broken and the people of Massachusetts are demanding a new voice that will fight for their interests. No one represents the status quo, business as usual mentality in Washington, more than John Kerry," said Ogonowski, 50, in a statement.
But Kerry's office shot back immediately with a statement saying that he has always fought for change and will continue to do so when he is re-elected.
Ogonowski joins Jeff Beatty, a military veteran who ran unsuccessfully in 2006 against US Representative William Delahunt, in the hunt for the GOP nomination.
2:12 PM ET | 01-30-2008 | permalink
