Endorsements by the Boston Globe and Boston Herald Today

From the Boston Globe:

Among the two Republicans running, this page endorses Jim Ogonowski, a Dracut hay farmer and retired Air Force lieutenant colonel. Ogonowski, a political newcomer, approaches the subject of combating terrorism not just as a person with 28 years of military experience but also as brother of the pilot of the American Airlines airplane that struck the World Trade Center on Sept. 11.

Ogonowski favors tougher security standards for the country's most vulnerable chemical facilities and ports, and wants more government funding for improved security at railway stations. Though a Republican, he criticizes the Bush administration's decision-making that led to the invasion of Iraq and the lack of planning in its aftermath. Ogonowski would allow gays and lesbians to serve in the military without "don't ask, don't tell" rules. He said he opposes gay marriage but favors civil unions.

Ogonowski is a strong advocate of renewable energy and wants a farm bill that provides greater support for family farms and rural towns. He brings a refreshing willingness to view issues on their merits and not through an ideological prism.

From the Boston Herald:

There is a nominal Republican contest in the Fifth and in it another candidate with a familiar name. But like Niki Tsongas, Jim Ogonowski has far more to offer than simply his relationship to a widely admired relative, in his case his late brother, John, who was at the controls of American Airlines Flight 11 when it was hijacked on September 11th, 2001. Indeed, the commonwealth's anemic Republican Part would be fortunate if it could attract more candidates for office like Ogonowski, a farmer from Dracut who spend a career in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard and has built his life around the twin virtues of hard work and dedication to duty. As a candidate, he speaks with authority on matters of national security, particularly aviation security. But he is equally comfortable talking jobs and health care in the coffee shops of Lowell or Lawrence, and unafraid to critique the Bush administration for mistakes in Iraq. The Herald is pleased to endorse Jim Ogonowski for the Republican nomination in the Fifth Congressional District.