Farmer and retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jim Ogonowski (R) officially announced Sunday that he is challenging longtime Sen. John Kerry (D).

Ogonowski made a political name for himself running in the October 2007 special election against now-Rep. Niki Tsongas (D), coming within 6 points of the victor in a heavily Democratic district.

“Last summer, we started a movement right here in Massachusetts — a call for change that has resonated across the state and the nation,” Ogonowski said. “… Folks in Massachusetts don’t see John Kerry around here much anymore — Washington is his home. It’s been his home for a long time. I call Dracut, Mass., my home.”

The brother of the pilot of one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, Ogonowski will face an uphill battle against Kerry when it comes down to the numbers — both in voter registration and campaign dollars. Kerry had more than $9.5 million in cash on hand as of the end of 2007. The Bay State has not elected a Republican to Congress in more than a decade.
— Shira Toeplitz