Golnik wins GOP primary in Mass. 3rd District

BOSTON (AP) -- Jon Golnik has won the Republican primary in the 3rd Congressional District and will challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas in November.

Golnik is a businessman from Carlisle who ran against Tsongas and lost in 2010. At the time Tsongas was seen as vulnerable in part because the district was one of the state's more conservative, but Golnik had trouble capitalizing on his success in a four-way Republican primary.

On Thursday, he beat Tom Weaver, a small business owner from Westford.

Tsongas is running for her third full term. She's the widow of former presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Paul Tsongas.

The newly redrawn district includes Lowell and extends through Lawrence to include Haverhill.