NewsCenter 5' - 4th Democrat Vying for Meehan's Seat

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Another Democrat is eager to succeed Marty Meehan as he prepares to leave his seat in the 5th Congressional District. Andover's Barry Finegold made his intentions official on Thursday.

NewsCenter 5's Natalie Jacobson reported that with 29 cities and towns in the 5th, Finegold said he will focus his message on the struggles of the middle class.

"If gas goes to $4 a gallon — think about it," Finegold told a group of firefighters at a Sudbury fire station.

Finegold is a 36-year-old father of two, a six-term state representative, a former Andover selectman and a practicing attorney.

"So many people who are trying to send their kids to college can't do so. So many people are trying to pay mortgages and are unable to do so," he said.

With gasoline at $3 a gallon, Finegold is pushing hard for alternative fuel development, including hydrogen.

"We can send a man to the moon in less than a decade, then why can't we get off our addiction to foreign oil. That's what we need more than ever in Washington," Finegold said.

As for the war in Iraq, his message to the Sudbury firefighters and to everyone in the 5th District is that the U.S. needs to get out as soon as possible.

"If you look at the history of other countries, what we've learned from Yugoslavia, ethic factions don't get along. We can't be a referee in a civil war, and that's what we're doing right now," he said.

Finegold will face four other Democrats in a special primary election the day after Labor Day. Right now, only one candidate has announced on the Republican side — Jim Ogonowski, of Dracut.

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