A woman in the House?
SOMETIMES A trip to a strange and distant land can bring your own home into sharper focus. Certainly a Massachusetts Marco Polo attending a recent Democratic Party fund-raiser in New Hampshire could have been jolted into wondering why his own state suffers from such distaff deficit disorder.
At that event, then Democratic Party Chairwoman Kathy Sullivan introduced Sylvia Larsen , New Hampshire's new Senate president. And Terie Norelli, the new speaker of the House . And its five newly elected female Democratic senators. Oh yes -- and Carol Shea-Porter, the Granite State's new congresswoman.
The same question can nag when in Maine, which shares with California and Oregon the distinction of having two women as its US senators.
Connecticut, meanwhile, elected its first woman governor back in 1974 (last November, M. Jodi Rell became the Nutmeg state's second elected female CEO). Vermont followed suit in 1984, New Hampshire in 1996.
And as for Massachusetts? Well, we've elected three female lieutenant governors, one of whom served as acting governor, and one state treasurer. Last year, Martha Coakley won the attorney general's job, and Therese Murray just became Senate president. So we're making a little progress.
But this state has only ever sent three women to Congress -- and none since Margaret Heckler lost 25 years ago. Which is why the Democratic race to fill Marty Meehan's Fifth District seat promises to be such an interesting affair: Not only is the front-runner a woman, but so is the candidate best positioned to challenge her. As the special election scramble begins, the clear leader is Niki Tsongas, widow of Paul Tsongas, former senator and a Lowell legend, and a recognized community leader in her own right.
But Eileen Donoghue, six-term Lowell city councilor and former mayor, also enjoys considerable support in the city that is the heart of the district -- and the backing of some of the Fifth's pivotal power brokers.
The two are hardly the only hopefuls in the hunt. But though Andover state Representative Barry Finegold has done an impressive job fund-raising, he hasn't cast a particularly long shadow during a decade on Beacon Hill. Three-term state Representative James Eldrige of Acton shows future promise but lacks current prominence. After 30 years in the Legislature, state Representative James Miceli of (out-of-the-district) Wilmington hopes to move up, but remains a long shot.
Instead, Tsongas, dean of external affairs at Middlesex Community College, and Donoghue, who spent two of her city council terms as mayor, are the pair to watch. So far, Tsongas has emerged as the favorite of committed but pragmatic liberals.
She's won the support of Chet Atkins, who represented the district before Meehan, and has scored a coup by landing Meehan's wife, Ellen Murphy, a healthcare consultant, as her campaign chairwoman.
(Her involvement has lent the impression that Meehan also favors Tsongas, though the cagey congressional coyote insists he's neutral.) Tsongas has also garnered the support of the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus, which deems her the woman with the best shot.
Tsongas is expected to run well in Lowell, where she and her late husband lived for decades, and to have appeal in the tony towns of the district's southern tier.
But though Tsongas supporters are portray her as the only serious woman candidate, that undersells Donoghue, who is also expected to be strong in Greater Lowell and who has the potential to grow in northern tier communities like Haverhill, Lawrence, and Methuen, places without local favorites in the fight.
Donoghue already enjoys the support of important figures such as state Senator Steven Panagiotakos and Mayor Bill Martin, both of Lowell. Mayor Bill Manzi and state Senator Steven Baddour, both of Methuen, are expected to endorse her shortly.
With issue differences not yet clearly defined, minor matters are rearing their heads.
To wit: After decades of district domicile, Tsongas left Lowell for several years to live in Charlestown. And: In 2004, Donoghue and her husband contributed to a Republican friend running against Democratic state Senator Susan Fargo.
Let's hope the Democratic race turns on issues of greater import.
All this is not to write off Republican James Ogonowski of Dracut. With a skillful campaign, he might just mount a serious challenge.
Still, at least at this point, the Fabulous Fifth seems likely to send a Democratic woman to Congress -- and, by doing so, to nudge Massachusetts up into the later decades of the 20th century.
Scot Lehigh's e-mail address is lehigh@globe.com. 
