| Paul Efthemios Tsongas | |
|---|---|
| United States Senator from Massachusetts |
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| In office January 3, 1979 – January 2, 1985 |
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| Preceded by | Edward Brooke |
| Succeeded by | John Kerry |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 5th district |
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| In office January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1979 |
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| Preceded by | Paul W. Cronin |
| Succeeded by | James Shannon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 14, 1941 Lowell, Massachusetts |
| Died | January 18, 1997 (aged 55) Lowell, Massachusetts |
| Resting place | Lowell Cemetery Lowell, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Niki Tsongas |
| Alma mater | Dartmouth Yale Law School Kennedy School of Government (Harvard University) |
Paul Efthemios Tsongas ( /ˈsɒŋɡəs/; Greek: Παύλος Ευθύμιος Τσόνγκας; February 14, 1941 – January 18, 1997) was a United States Senator from Massachusetts from 1979 to 1985. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 1992 presidential election. He previously served as a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts's 5th congressional district (1975–1979) and held local political office.
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Tsongas was born along with a twin sister, Thaleia (Schlesinger), to a working-class Greek father and native Massachusetts mother. He attended Dartmouth College, graduating in 1962, Yale Law School and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard before settling in Lowell, Massachusetts.
He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ethiopia from 1962–1964, and as Peace Corps Country Director in the West Indies from 1967–1968.
Tsongas first entered politics as a city councillor, elected to the Lowell City Council in 1969 where he served two consecutive terms. Tsongas went on to serve as a county commissioner of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. In 1974 he ran for United States House of Representatives from a district anchored by Lowell. The district had only elected three Democrats in its entire existence, and had been in Republican hands continuously since 1895. However, in the massive Democratic wave of that year, he defeated freshman Republican Paul W. Cronin by a shocking 21-point margin. He was reelected handily in 1976, becoming the first Democrat to hold the district for more than one term. In 1978 he was elected to the Senate, defeating incumbent Edward Brooke by 10 points.
In his early Senatorial career Tsongas appeared unprepared for an important Senate hearing. During the 1983 Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) hearings, Tsongas, representing the affirmative side, appeared so unprepared and unfamiliar with the amendment's legal ramifications, even supporters were disappointed by his poor presentation. According to journalist Ellen Goodman, “… Sen. Paul Tsongas (D-Mass.) showed up shamefully unprepared for the opening exchange with anti-ERA Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).”[1] His showing at the hearing has since given rise to the political term, ‘Tsongased’. As in, "I hope the Governor doesn't get 'Tsongased' if they bring up foreign investment in the debate tonight."
Later that year, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma[2] and in 1984 announced his retirement from the Senate. His seat went to fellow Democrat and 2004 presidential nominee John Kerry. After fighting the illness he returned to politics, and ran for his party's nomination for President in 1992. Until the 1992 campaign, Tsongas had never lost an election. He was the first former Peace Corps volunteer elected to the U.S. Senate (1978). (In 1974 he and Christopher Dodd were the first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.)
The Tsongas campaign was banking heavily on early success in New Hampshire. Like many of the candidates, Tsongas ignored the 1992 contest in Iowa, which was expected to go overwhelmingly to Iowa's Senator Tom Harkin. Tsongas hoped that his New England independence and fiscal conservatism from neighboring Massachusetts would appeal to New Hampshirites. He achieved recognition for the bluntness and clarity of his plan, distributing a short book titled A Call to Economic Arms, which focused on such issues as the growing federal deficit. When asked why he didn't have a tax cut plan like the other candidates, Tsongas famously responded "I'm not Santa Claus."[3] During the early weeks of 1992, things seemed to be going Tsongas's way when one of the potential major candidates, Bill Clinton, stumbled over issues involving marital infidelity and avoidance of the military draft during Vietnam. While Clinton was hurt by these issues, the damage seemed to bottom out several weeks before the New Hampshire primary. While Tsongas was the actual winner in terms of votes received and delegates won, Clinton advisor James Carville tagged Clinton with the label "the Comeback Kid", and claimed that Clinton's campaign was back on track. While ostensibly the front-runner, Tsongas was already considered by many to be behind Clinton after just one primary.
Following the New Hampshire primary, Tsongas was unable to match Clinton's fundraising. Clinton later went on to win most of the Super Tuesday primaries. Tsongas did go on to win delegate contests in Delaware, Maryland, Arizona, Washington, Utah, and Massachusetts, but his campaign never recovered from Clinton's comeback; Clinton won the primaries of most of the more populous and delegate-rich states.
Eventually, Tsongas pulled out of the race and endorsed Clinton. However, a number of the Tsongas delegates continued to support the former Senator, and voted for Tsongas at the convention. The roll call yielded 289 votes for Tsongas, placing him in third place, behind Clinton and then former California governor Jerry Brown.
Tsongas was viewed as a social liberal and economic moderate. He was especially known for his pro-business economic policies. In particular, he focused on the U.S. budget deficit, a cause he continued to champion after his primary campaign ended, by co-founding The Concord Coalition. Tsongas was often criticized by his opponents as a Reaganomics-style politician, who was closer to Republicans in this matter. The Boston Herald noted that his political philosophy had "far more in common" with Republican Mitt Romney (who crossed over to vote for Tsongas in the 1992 primaries) than with traditional Massachusetts Democrats like Ted Kennedy.[4] In the mid-1980s he shocked many of the members of the Americans for Democratic Action by telling them that they should focus more on economic growth than wealth redistribution.
His most memorable quip might have been, "If anyone thinks the words government and efficiency belong in the same sentence, we have counseling available."[5]
In late 1994, Tsongas briefly led an effort to establish a third party, led by someone with "national authority", suggesting General Colin Powell for that role.[6] By that time, he was "the most popular political figure in Massachusetts."[4]
A few years later, the cancer (non-Hodgkins lymphoma) returned. He died of pneumonia and liver failure on January 18, 1997, two days before his term as President would have ended had he been elected in 1992. He was buried at Lowell Cemetery on Knapp Street; his plot is set on Woodbine Path, overlooking the Concord River.[7]
On January 27, 1998, the Tsongas Arena in Lowell was dedicated in his honor.[8]
In a special election held on October 16, 2007, his widow Niki won the Massachusetts Congressional seat that Paul once held.[9]
Massachusetts 5th district, 1974[10]
Massachusetts 5th district, 1976[11]
Democratic primary for the United States Senate from Massachusetts, 1978[12]
Massachusetts United States Senate election, 1978[13]
United States presidential election, 1992 (Democratic primaries)
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Paul W. Cronin |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 5th congressional district January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1979 |
Succeeded by James Shannon |
| United States Senate | ||
| Preceded by Edward Brooke |
United States Senator (Class 2) from Massachusetts January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1985 Served alongside: Ted Kennedy |
Succeeded by John Kerry |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by John Kerry |
Democratic Party nominee for United States Representative from Massachusetts 5th district 1974, 1976 |
Succeeded by James Shannon |
| Preceded by John J. Droney |
Democratic Party nominee for United States Senator from Massachusetts (Class 2) 1978 |
Succeeded by John Kerry |
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