Amnesty Attacks Still a Loser, Special Election Shows

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                Media Contact:

October 23, 2007                                                       

Drew Seman

Immigrants’ List

202.939.8644

dseman@immigrantslist.org

Amnesty Attacks Still a Loser, Special Election Shows

In a district Republican Governor Mitt Romney won the district with 55% of the vote in 2002, Democrat Niki Tsongas has defeated Republican Jim Ogonowski, 51% to 45%.  Immigration took center stage in the Special Election for the 5^th Congressional District of Massachusetts.

The Boston Globe reports that Ogonowski attempted to win the district by “[keeping] an unrelenting focus on a big, divisive issue: immigration.”  The Ogonowski Campaign accused Tsongas of supporting amnesty in television ads, radio ads, and direct mail pieces. Despite these relentless attacks, his campaign failed to decrease the Democratic margin of victory when compared with the 2006 Governor’s race and underperformed when compared with the 2002 Governor’s race.

“This race shows that the ineffective amnesty attacks of 2006 will not work in 2008 & beyond,” said Drew Seman, Executive Director of Immigrants’ List.

“What the American people want are solutions.  What they see from politicians who use these attacks is talk,” said Seman.

Immigrants’ List is a bipartisan, pro-immigration reform political action committee.  Founded in October of 2006, Immigrants’ List supports candidates who will work towards meaningful reform measures, including relief to divided families, fixing outdated visa numbers, and restoration of due process and judicial review.  Please visit www.immigrantslist.org for more information.

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