Meehan will leave Congress for University of Mass. post

Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) will resign his House seat in the coming months following his selection yesterday as the new chancellor at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

Meehan, who was elected to his eighth term in Congress in November, had been one of three finalists for the slot. University President Jack Wilson offered the lawmaker the position yesterday morning, and Meehan’s final approval is set for this morning, when the board of trustees votes on his confirmation.

The university wants its next chancellor in place by July 1, and Meehan has indicated he would retain his seat for the time being. After that, a special election would ensue in Massachusetts’s 5th district.

“The decision to leave the House has been the most difficult professional decision of my life,” Meehan said in a statement. “It has been a true honor to represent the people of my district and of our state in the House of Representatives. Being a member of Congress has been the best job I have ever had.”

First elected to Congress in 1992 at the age of 35, Meehan gained a reputation as a foe of the tobacco industry and as a campaign-finance reformer. He was a House cosponsor, along with Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), of what became known as the McCain-Feingold Act, which outlawed soft money in federal campaigns, among other measures.
More recently, Meehan worked to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy regarding homosexuals.

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) praised Meehan’s bond with the people of his district and said constituents and issues such as ethics reform would be losing a champion.

“He made a powerful contribution to Congress,” Kennedy said. “There are big shoes to fill.”

Meehan has made clear his aspirations for higher office, and built a $5 million campaign war chest in preparation for an opening in one of Massachusetts’s two Senate seats. He racked up the contributions — the largest sum of any House member — during Sen. John Kerry’s (D-Mass.) presidential run in 2004, preparing for a special election in case Kerry had won.

Kerry lost and, in recent months, declined to run for president again. That, coupled with Kennedy’s successful 2006 reelection bid, made an open Senate seat a more distant possibility.

An open House seat, however, is imminent with Meehan’s departure and will draw a sea of interest. Potential candidates, including the widow of former Sen. Paul Tsongas (D-Mass.), already have been weighing in.
Niki Tsongas is planning to run for an open seat, as are Democrats including state Reps. Jim Miceli and Barry Finegold and former Lowell Mayor Eileen Donoghue. State Rep. James Eldridge and former Lancaster Selectman Stephen Kerrigan have formed exploratory committees. Middlesex Sheriff James DiPaola and state Democratic National Committeeman David O’Brien have also expressed interest.

Among Republicans, Lawrence Mayor Michael Sullivan, former state Rep. Donna Cuomo and 2002 Meehan opponent Charles McCarthy have been mentioned. McCarthy took 34 percent of the vote against Meehan.

A special election would need to be set between 145 and 160 days after Meehan submits a letter of resignation. Each party would hold a special primary to nominate a candidate. State legislators are allowed to retain their seats while they run.

The 5th district tilts Democratic but isn’t as safe as some of the state’s other nine districts, all of which are held by Democratic men. Kerry won 57 percent of the vote there in 2004 — his second-lowest percentage in his home state — and Meehan dipped to 60 percent in 2002 after angering some Democrats by expressing interest in a gubernatorial bid.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will not play a role in the Democratic primary, and the National Republican Congressional Committee as a policy does not get involved in primaries.

Elana Schor contributed to this report.