Niki Tsongas

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Niki Tsongas
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 5th district
Incumbent
Assumed office  October 18, 2007
Preceded by	Marty Meehan
Born	April 26, 1946 (1946-04-26) (age 62) Chico, California
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Paul Tsongas (1969-1997)
Alma mater	Smith College Boston University
Religion	Greek Orthodox
Website	Congresswoman Niki Tsongas

Nicola "Niki" Sauvage Tsongas (pronounced /ˈsɒŋgəs/) (born April 26, 1946 in Chico, California^[1]) is the U.S. Representative for Massachusetts's 5th congressional district and the widow of U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas. She is the first woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts in 25 years and the first female Democrat elected to Congress from the state in 35 years. She is also the first woman to represent the 5th district in 46 years.^[2]

[edit] Biography

Niki was born to Marian Susan Wyman, an artist and copywriter, and Colonel Russell Elmer Sauvage, an engineer in the United States Air Force who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. She was a 1964 graduate from Narimasu American High School in Japan while her father was stationed at Fuchu Air Force Base and then spent one year at Michigan State before attending Smith College in Northampton, MA. After graduating from Smith in 1968, she moved to New York City where she took a job as a social worker for the Department of Welfare. Niki has a law degree from Boston University and started Lowell's first all-female law practice. In 1967, while spending the summer in Arlington, Virginia, she met Paul Tsongas, then an aide for Congressman Brad Morse. She married Tsongas in 1969. They had three daughters: Ashley, Katina, and Molly. Paul was a Massachusetts congressman, senator and in 1992, a candidate for Democratic presidential nomination; he died in 1997 due to complications from non-Hodgkins lymphoma. She has also worked as the Dean of External Affairs at Middlesex Community College,^[1] as well as a Board Member of Fallon Community Health Plan^[3], and actively serving on the Lowell Civic Stadium and Arena Commission (which oversees the Tsongas Arena, the LeLacheur Ballpark, the Merrimack Repertory Theater, and the Lowell Plan).^[1] In 2001, she was appointed by then-Representative Marty Meehan to head a foundation to provide educational funding for the children of the victims of the 9/11 attacks.

[edit] Campaign for Congress

Main article: Massachusetts's 5th congressional district special election, 2007

When Meehan resigned in 2007 to serve as chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Niki Tsongas ran for the vacant seat. She defeated her four opponents in the Democratic primary with a plurality of the vote, 36%. Her leading opponent in the general election, on Oct. 16th, 2007, was Republican Jim Ogonowski; in addition, there were two independent candidates and one from the Constitution Party. During her campaign she received endorsements from the three major newspapers in the area: The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, and The Lowell Sun.^{[4] [5]} On October 16, 2007, she was pronounced the winner of the special election with 51% of the vote with 99% of precincts reporting.

[edit] Committee assignments

• House Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Military Personnel
  • Strategic Forces Subcommittee
• House Committee on Budget

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Niki Tsongas Member of Congress official website
• Niki Tsongas for Congress campaign website
• Official blog on Blue Mass. Group

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• Boston.com: Tsongas receives endorsement from state treasurer August 21, 2007