Eldridge gears up for race

With as many as a dozen congressional hopefuls eyeing March 14 as the date that will determine their next political steps, one local lawmaker is already putting together a campaign team.

On that day two weeks from now, administrators from University of Massachusetts at Lowell plan to select their next chancellor. U.S. Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Lowell, is among three finalists for the post, and while he has not officially announced his intentions, some indicators suggest that if offered, he will accept.

Politicians from across the 5th Congressional District, including Lowell, Andover, Wilmington and Acton, plan to run for the job if Meehan moves on.

State Rep. James Eldridge, D-Acton, showed his bid is serious last week when he formed an exploratory committee and hired advisors to support his candidacy. The group will spend the next two weeks determining whether the 33-year-old lawmaker is a good fit for the job and if he appeals enough to voters of the 5th Congressional District to win.

Eldridge, who is just beginning his third term after a victory in November 2006, said he has met with town Democratic committees in his district, in addition to meeting with party members in Groton, Sudbury and Wayland, to discuss his potential race.

“I’m just seeking people’s thoughts on national issues and garnering their support,” Eldridge said. “People are very excited and supportive.”

In recent weeks, Eldridge has also tapped his contacts in Lowell, where he worked for Merrimac Valley Legal Services as a lawyer, and appeared before community organizations in Lawrence.

Michael Moschella, Eldridge’s recently hired committee manager, said the legislator’s broad reach across the 5th Congressional District is what will make the state representative successful if Meehan resigns.

“He’s worked in all the main areas and is the only [candidate] with experience all over the district,” Moschella said.

Lowell resident Nikki Tsongas, the widow of former Senator Paul Tsongas, and Lowell City Councilor Eileen Donoghue are two well-known candidates who up the competition with name recognition. 

But Moschella said Eldridge has advantages over potential opponents because the lawmaker is “substantive.”

“Jamie has a vision about the role of government in people’s lives — that the federal government can have a positive impact on people’s lives in Lowell, Lawrence and Acton,” Moschella said. “Not every candidate actually believes this is the case.”

Moschella said he heard about Eldridge’s campaign through Lauren Aquino-Couture, the exploratory committee’s finance director. In the past, Moschella was the field director for Chris Gabreli’s gubernatorial bid and helped lead Congressman Tim Mahoney’s successful campaign last November.

While the exploratory committee’s main responsibilities are to raise money for Eldridge’s anticipated campaign and to determine the candidate’s potential for success, Moschella said the group is also trying to get the legislator’s message out.

“We’re making sure he gets in front of activists, leaders, groups and donors who want to play a role in creating a congressman,” he said, “and share his vision … that people in our district can have a better life.”

The cost of a congressional election can vary, but Florida congressman Mahoney’s race had a $4 million price tag. Both Eldridge and his manager said the number of donations and money raised so far for the campaign is undetermined.

If Meehan takes the chancellorship and resigns, according to state law, a primary must be held five weeks before a special election to fill his seat. The governor must call for the election between 145 and 160 days after a congressman resigns. In November 2008, the newly elected congressman will have to run again in the general election, when Meehan’s term would have ended.

Moschella said if selected, he did not know when Meehan would start his chancellorship at UMass-Lowell.

Robert Connolly, the spokesperson for the president’s office at UMass-Lowell, said a candidate’s seriousness in taking the post is considered in the interviewing process.

“We wouldn’t pick a finalist if we weren’t confident they would take the position,” Connolly said. “If selected, [a candidate] still has to undergo negotiations for his salary, benefits and so on.”

The former chancellor, William Hogan, earned $235,000 before he retired last summer. Connolly said an incoming chancellor would make similar wages.

Connolly said the university staff hopes the new chancellor will start around July 1, if not earlier. However, before President Jack Wilson makes a recommendation and the Board of Trustees vote on a finalist, each candidate will visit the UMass-Lowell campus to meet with students, faculty and staff. Meehan is scheduled to appear in Lowell on March 5.

The other finalists are David Chang, the current chancellor of Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Nabil Ibrahim, the vice-chancellor of academic affairs and chief academic officer at Purdue University, Calumet in Indiana.

Meehan’s press secretary, Bryan DeAngelis, said the congressman has not made any decisions regarding his next career move.

“He has to talk to President Wilson to hear his vision for the university and see if Meehan’s qualities and skills match up to that,” DeAngelis said. “[The congressman] hasn’t decided yet if offered, if he will take the job.”

But at a news conference last week after a trip to Iraq, Meehan praised his alma mater and attributed his successes in life to the education he received at the university.

Eldridge has not spoken with Meehan since earlier this month when he informed the congressman of his potential bid for the seat. However, Eldridge said Meehan is a good fit and the expected pick for the chancellor post in Lowell.

“I obviously can’t predict anything, but I do think it’s likely,” he said. “I’m preparing to run.”

Patricia Bertuccio can be reached at 978-371-5743 or at pbertucc@cnc.com.