NY-23

Siena Poll: Doug Hoffman Gone From The Race -- But Still A Factor In NY-23

Eric Kleefeld | October 13, 2010, 6:34PM

Doug Hoffman

A new Siena poll of the NY-23 House district finds that this race could still be a contentious three-way race -- even though Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, the star of last year's topsy-turvy special election, has dropped out. The problem: A lot of his voters might not know that he dropped out -- and his name remains on the ballot -- and he still splits the conservative vote and thus helps Democratic Rep. Bill Owens.

The initial numbers: Owens 42%, Republican nominee Matt Doheny 31%, and Hoffman 15%. When Hoffman backers are informed that he dropped out, the numbers change to Owens 44%, Doheny 39%, and Hoffman at only 1%. The survey of likely voters has a ±4% margin of error. There is no prior Siena poll of this race for direct comparison.

For what it's worth, it's also a good thing for Republicans that Hoffman narrowly lost the Republican primary against the establishment-backed Doheny, and subsequently threw his support the GOP's way. Only 28% view Hoffman favorably, with 55% unfavorable. By contrast, Owens's favorable rating is 46%-35%, and Doheny's is 36%-34%.

NY-23

Conservative Doug Hoffman Drops Out Of NY-23, Backs GOP Nominee Dohney

Eric Kleefeld | October 5, 2010, 12:10PM

NY-23 Republican candidates Doug Hoffman and Matt Doheny

Doug Hoffman, who rocketed to mini-fame in last year's NY-23 special election running on the Conservative Party of New York ballot line, has now dropped out of the race for this November's election, endorsing Republican nominee Matt Doheny after Doheny defeated him in last month's GOP primary.

Hoffman's name will still appear on the ballot as a Conservative, the Adirondack Daily Enterprise reports, but he is asking his supporters to vote for Doheny. This is good news for Republicans, as it will unify the conservative vote against Democratic Rep. Bill Owens, who won last year's special election thanks in part to infighting on the right.

Hoffman had previously announced late last month that he would stay in race, running on the Conservative line. (New York's fusion system allows a single candidate to run on multiple party lines. This usually results in small parties that work as influences on the big two -- but sometimes they rebel against the majors, too.)

But now he is backing out. "Our nation is at a crossroads, and it is imperative that on Election Day we wrest control of Congress from Nancy Pelosi and the Democrat majority," Hoffman said in a statement. "It was never my intention to split the Republican vote."

Read more »

NY-23

Doug Hoffman To Keep Running With Conservative Party For NY-23

Eric Kleefeld | September 23, 2010, 2:19PM

NY-23 Candidate Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

The NY-23 district looks like it's going to have another three-way race this year, with the Watertown Daily Times reporting that Doug Hoffman is staying in the contest on the Conservative Party line, after he narrowly lost the Republican primary to businessman Matt Doheny. And chances are, this is probably good news for Democratic Rep. Bill Owens.

In a statement, Hoffman conceded the Republican primary to Doheny, but also added: "I have spoken with family, friends, supporters and staff as I have weighed my next step. So today, with new resolve and a strong commitment to conservative principles, I rededicate myself to this race and announce that I will actively campaign for Congress as the nominee of the Conservative Party."

Hoffman, you might recall, was the Conservative Party candidate in the 2009 special election, when a right-wing revolt forced moderate GOP nominee Dede Scozzafava to drop out of the race. (New York's fusion system allows a single candidate to run on multiple party lines. This usually results in small parties that work as influences on the big two -- but occasionally rebel against them.) Scozzafava then made a stunning endorsement of Democrat Bill Owens, who defeated Hoffman by a margin of 49.7%-44.8% to win a district that Republicans had held since the 1800s.

Read more »

NY-23

Could Doug Hoffman Still Make Trouble For The GOP In NY-23?

Eric Kleefeld | July 1, 2010, 8:45AM

Doug Hoffman

Could the NY-23 district, which saw a wild special election last year, see a repeat this year -- a tough three-way race pitting Democratic Rep. Bill Owens against a Republican candidate and Conservative Doug Hoffman?

Owens narrowly defeated Hoffman in last year's special election, after Hoffman's Conservative Party candidacy attracted the support of national right-wingers and successfully forced the official GOP nominee, state Rep. Dede Scozzafava, out of the race due to her socially liberal positions.

Roll Call now reports that some people think a Republican split might happen yet again. Hoffman is seeking a rematch with Owens, simultaneously seeking the Conservative and Republican nominations. However, the state GOP establishment is backing businessman Matt Doheny for the nomination. And for his part, Doheny's campaign is assuming that Hoffman would keep on running as a Conservative if he were to lose the primary -- something Hoffman has not fully ruled out.

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NY-23

Doug Hoffman Buying House Inside District For Second Run At NY-23

Eric Kleefeld | March 11, 2010, 11:35AM

NY-23 Candidate Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party nominee in the NY-23 special election in 2009, has announced that he's moving into the district as he mounts a second campaign for the seat.

"I have a signed purchase agreement for a house in Saranac Lake," Hoffman told the Adirondack Daily Enterprise. "I expect to close on that within a month, and I will be moving into that house. It will become my primary residence."

Read more »

NY-23

Doug Hoffman Announces New Campaign For NY-23 (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | March 9, 2010, 9:20AM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate in the NY-23 special election in 2009, has officially announced that he's running again this year against Democratic Rep. Bill Owens, who defeated Hoffman last fall.

Hoffman announced in a press release Monday night that he would be seeking the nominations of the Republican, Conservative and Independence parties, "and unite them, as one team, to defeat the agenda of Nancy Pelosi and Bill Owens."

Read more »

Tea Party

Tea Party's First Birthday Highlights Divisions In Movement

Christina Bellantoni | March 1, 2010, 2:25PM

Dick Armey of FreedomWorks speaks with a tea party enthusiast

The tea party movement officially turned one over the weekend, drawing various celebrations, laudatory statements from Republican leadership and boastful emails about all the group has accomplished since 2009. But even those anniversary milestones highlight deep factions within the movement and how Republicans are bending over backwards to be associated with the tea partiers.

For example, the Tea Party Express organizers cited several odd accomplishments, including a political race that ended up with a Democratic victory and a Senator's retirement that had nothing to do with the tea party at all.

Read more »

2010 elections

Doug Hoffman Likely Running Again As Candidate To 'Unite' All GOP Factions (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | February 19, 2010, 5:36PM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

Doug Hoffman is considering another bid for the 23rd Congressional district but this time will "absolutely" go the Republican establishment route, he told TPMDC.

Hoffman, who hinted he'd run a second time after losing to a Democrat last fall,
said if he gets in the race it would be to "get the seat back into Republican hands."

I caught up with Hoffman for an interview at the Conservative Political Action Conference today, and he charged that Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY) violated his campaign pledges on his first week in office by voting for the health care bill.

"I'm the only candidate that can unite the Republican party, the conservative party, the tea party, the 9/12ers and the grassroots of the 23rd district," he said.

Read more »

Doug Hoffman

Hoffman Announces 2010 Bid: I'm Not Saying There Was Voter Fraud In NY-23, But I'm Not Not Saying There Was Either

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 27, 2009, 10:27AM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

As Josh reported yesterday, Doug Hoffman is preparing a second run at the NY-23 congressional seat next year.

On his website yesterday, Hoffman laid out his reasons for deciding take on Rep. Bill Owens (D) so soon after he conceded to the freshman Representative for the second time. In short, Hoffman suggests again that the Nov. 3 special election was rigged in Owens' favor -- and then immediately apologizes to elections officials for offending them with the claim.

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NY-23

Hoffman Concedes NY-23 To Owens (Again)

Eric Kleefeld | November 24, 2009, 3:40PM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

Doug Hoffman, the unsuccessful Conservative Party candidate in the recent NY-23 special election, has now conceded the race to Democrat Bill Owens -- for a second time.

Owens was sworn in two and a half weeks ago, after Hoffman had conceded the election. The correction of routine clerical errors, however, narrowed Owens' margin from 5,000 votes to about 3,000, leading Hoffman to take back his concession. He furthermore accused ACORN of stealing the election.

In his new statement, Hoffman acknowledges that Owens did indeed win. Hoffman wishes the Democrat well, thanks his own supporters, and also calls upon the election officials to avoid mistakes in the future:

"Yesterday, the remaining ballots were counted in the 23rd Congressional District special election. The results re-affirm the fact that Bill Owens won.

Since, the morning of November 4th, many of my supporters have asked me to challenge the outcome of this race. Their concerns centered on the veracity of the new voting machines used, for the first time, in the majority of the eleven counties that make up the Congressional District. Over the past three weeks, we nearly cut Bill Owens' lead in half. Sadly, that is not enough.

Read more »

NY-23

Report: Hoffman Won't Seek Recount In NY-23

Eric Kleefeld | November 24, 2009, 11:33AM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

Doug Hoffman, the unsuccessful Conservative Party candidate in the recent NY-23 special election, will reportedly not ask for a recount in the race, says News 10 Now.

I called Hoffman spokesman Rob Ryan, asking for confirmation or other comment, and he said simply that a statement will be released later today.

The latest results, with 628 absentee ballots left to be counted, have Democrat Bill Owens beating Hoffman by 48.3%-46.0%, with a raw-vote margin of 3,397 votes.

Owens was sworn in two and a half weeks ago, after Hoffman had conceded the election. The correction of routine clerical errors, however, narrowed Owens' margin from 5,000 votes to about 3,000, leading Hoffman to take back his concession. Wednesday night, Hoffman charged that the election was stolen: "ACORN, the unions and Democratic Party were scared, and that's why they tampered with the ballots of voters in NY-23."

Bill Owens

Owens Winning The Absentee Ballots In NY-23

Eric Kleefeld | November 20, 2009, 5:03PM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

The absentee ballot count is nearly completed in the NY-23 special election, with the new Democratic Rep. Bill Owens on track to gain votes in the process.

With only 813 ballots left to be counted, the Watertown Daily Times has Owens ahead by 3,398 votes over Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman, with an Owens lead of 253 votes within the absentees themselves.

The early absentee figures had given a mistaken impression of Hoffman gaining, because they had come mainly from counties that Hoffman carried on election day. The remaining ballots are more than not from pro-Owens counties, so he could potentially expand his lead a little bit further.

Owens was sworn in two weeks ago, after Hoffman had conceded the election. The correction of routine clerical errors, however, narrowed Owens' margin from 5,000 votes to about 3,000, leading Hoffman to take back his concession. Wednesday night, Hoffman charged that the election was stolen: "ACORN, the unions and Democratic Party were scared, and that's why they tampered with the ballots of voters in NY-23."

NY-23

Owens Leads Hoffman By Insurmountable Margin -- A Greater Lead Than Outstanding Ballots

Eric Kleefeld | November 19, 2009, 5:38PM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

The latest absentee ballot totals from the NY-23 special election show Democratic Rep. Bill Owens leading his Conservative Party opponent Doug Hoffman -- with a greater margin than there are absentee ballots left to be counted.

The Watertown Daily Times reports that Owens leads by 3,105 votes, with 3,072 ballots left to count. It is mathematically impossible for Hoffman to win.

Owens was sworn in two weeks ago, after Hoffman had conceded the election. The correction of routine clerical errors, however, narrowed Owens' margin from 5,000 votes to about 3,000, leading Hoffman to take back his concession.

Last night, Hoffman charged that the election was stolen: "ACORN, the unions and Democratic Party were scared, and that's why they tampered with the ballots of voters in NY-23."

Late Update: Hoffman spokesman Rob Ryan declined to comment specifically on these numbers, as he had not yet seen them in the figures that he gets from the county boards of elections. "We have found certain irregularities," said Ryan. "And when the count is completed, and we take a look -- and we have until Monday to decide whether to file those objections -- we are going to make a decision between now and then on whether and how to proceed."

NY-23

Republican Election Official, GOP County Chairman Dismiss Hoffman's Accusations Of ACORN Conspiracy

Eric Kleefeld | November 19, 2009, 11:24AM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

The accusations by NY-23 Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman that ACORN stole the election for Democrat Bill Owens, by allegedly tampering with the ballots and with the reported results, is now getting some push-back -- from a local Republican election official, and even a local GOP chairman, who aren't buying into the ACORN conspiracy talk.

The Watertown Daily Times reports:

Jerry O. Eaton, Jefferson County Republican elections commissioner, called Mr. Hoffman's assertion "absolutely false."

"No one has touched those ballots or has access to those ballots except Board of Elections staff -- and in a bipartisan manner," he said.

Read more »

NY-23

Doug Hoffman: ACORN Has Stolen NY-23 Election!

Eric Kleefeld | November 19, 2009, 10:34AM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate in the NY-23 election, is going further in revoking his election-night concession to Democrat Bill Owens -- who was sworn into office a few days later -- and alleging that ACORN has attempted to steal the election!

In a new letter to his supporters, Hoffman boasts of how the margin in the race has narrowed as the counties have corrected clerical errors in the totals -- which happen routinely in every election, as local officials have said -- and absentee ballots are counted. Hoffman says the situation is an obvious ACORN conspiracy:

I'm sure you are as dismayed as I am to learn of the mischief that took place in Oswego and neighboring counties. We know this would not be the first time for the ACORN faithful to tamper with democracy.

...

Oswego County elections officials blame the mistakes on "chaos" in their call-in center that included a phone system foul-up, and on inspectors who read numbers incorrectly when phoning in results. This sounds like a tactic right from the ACORN playbook.

As of yesterday evening's totals, Hoffman trailed by 2,832 votes, with 4,262 absentees left to be counted. It looks like no matter what the final result is, Hoffman and his allies will charge that this election was stolen by the ACORN bogeyman.

The full letter is available after the jump. It makes for interesting reading.

Read more »

NY-23

Owens Leads Hoffman By 2,832 Votes, With Only 4,262 Absentee Ballots Left

Eric Kleefeld | November 18, 2009, 5:02PM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

The latest absentee ballot totals show Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY) holding on to his lead over Conservative Party opponent Doug Hoffman in the recent special election, the Watertown Daily Times reports.

With about 40% of the total absentee ballots counted, Owens leads by 2,832 votes, with only 4,262 absentees left to be opened up by the various counties. If Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava were to keep up her current percentage of 21% the absentees -- she dropped out of the race the weekend before the election, after most absentees had been mailed in -- then Hoffman would need to win 3,099 out of the remaining pile.

Hoffman conceded on election night, when he was apparently down by 5,000 votes, and Owens was sworn in that Friday. However, corrections of clerical errors revealed that Owens had only won the election day total by about 3,000 votes -- and Hoffman recently said he would take back his concession if it were possible.

The absentee count shows that Hoffman is making some minor headway with these votes, but the likelihood of him actually catching Owens is shrinking by the day -- and it was quite small to begin with.

Late Update: "I'm never gonna rule out a win, but as I've said from the start, there's a very small shot," Hoffman spokesman Rob Ryan just told us. "And we will see, we'll make a decision as we get near the end of the week, how to proceed."

NY-23

NY-23 Update: Owens Maintains Lead, As Absentees Begin To Be Counted

Eric Kleefeld | November 17, 2009, 6:09PM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

Here's a quick update on the NY-23 special election, in which Democrat Bill Owens defeated Conservative Doug Hoffman, and was sworn into office after Hoffman conceded, only to have Hoffman recently un-concede after late results showed him narrowing Owens' lead from around 5,000 votes to 3,000.

According to the Watertown Daily Times, the most up-to-date totals with partial absentee-ballot counts have Owens still ahead by 2,940 votes, with 5,570 absentees yet to be counted. If this were strictly a two-way race, Hoffman would need to take over 75% of the absentees to win -- and this is not a two-way race, and Hoffman is highly unlikely to get the margin he would need.

Read more »

Doug Hoffman

Hoffman Takes Back His Concession Speech In NY-23

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 16, 2009, 5:19PM

NY-23 Candidate Doug Hoffman (Conservative) and Glenn Beck

Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman tried to reopen the NY-23 race this afternoon. Two weeks after he conceded defeat to Rep. Bill Owens (D), Hoffman attempted to take it all back in an interview with Glenn Beck.

Beck who championed Hoffman during the race, asked Hoffman if he regretted conceding in the wake of new poll results that show him losing to Owens by a narrower margin than was projected on election night. Some Hoffman supporters have held out hope that the 10,000 absentee ballots currently being counted by election officials in New York could reverse the election night result, which saw Owens become the first Democratic representative from the district in over a century.

Today, Hoffman seemed willing to oblige their fantasies.

Read more »

NY-23

Doug Hoffman: With '20-20 Hindsight' I Wouldn't Have Conceded

Eric Kleefeld | November 13, 2009, 6:25PM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate in the NY-23 election, appeared today on the Neil Cavuto show, where he kept the door open to challenging his narrow defeat by Democrat Bill Owens, who was sworn into office last week after Hoffman had conceded the race.

Hoffman said "I don't think we'll have an answer to this for at least a week or two," and thats when the totals are completed, "each candidate will still have another week to protest." He also said that with "20-20 hindsight," he would not have conceded on Election Night. Hoffman's concession allowed Owens to be sworn in quickly, even though the full vote-counting process was not completed -- and in this same interview, Hoffman attacked Speaker Nancy Pelosi for swearing in Owens.

Adjustments to the vote totals -- which came from a standard process of correcting human errors in election night spreadsheets -- showed Owens' lead shrinking from about 5,000 votes to 3,000, and spurring a a lot of talk in conservative media outlets about how Hoffman will be able to pull ahead from the several thousand absentee ballots yet to be counted. The math suggests that Hoffman is still highly unlikely to win, absent some other monumental error being discovered, because he would need to win the absentees by overwhelming margins.

NY-23

Owens' Margin Over Hoffman Narrows -- But His Win Does Not Appear In Serious Danger

Eric Kleefeld | November 12, 2009, 11:47AM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

Could Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate who conceded the NY-23 special election last week, still end up pulling ahead and ejecting the newly sworn-in Democratic Rep. Bill Owens from office? The answer is that it's mathematically possible, but simply not likely in real terms.

The Syracuse Post-Standard reported that Owens' lead over Hoffman had shrunk from about 5,000 votes, as it was on election night when Hoffman conceded, to only 3,000 votes. With up to 10,000 absentee ballots to be counted, this left the possibility of Hoffman pulling ahead. Hoffman spokesman Rob Ryan admitted to Dave Weigel that the odds of such an upset were not too good: "Even if the margin had been 3,000 votes on election night, we would have conceded. We just might have done it later."

The most up to date numbers from the Watertown Daily Times show the picture even bleaker for Hoffman than that. With only 5,400 absentees left to count, Owens' lead is holding steady at 3,176. "Are they going to change the result? I don't know, I wouldn't bet the mortgage payment on it," Rob Ryan just told me. "But since this has been such a bizarre race, who the hell knows?"

Read more »

NY-23

NY-23 And GOP Turmoil Makes Urban Dictionary In New Entry: 'Scozzafavaed'

Christina Bellantoni | November 6, 2009, 2:24PM

Former NY-23 House candidate Dede Scozzafava (R)

Well, look at that. Not sure that's how Dede Scozzafava wanted to go down in history when she started her bid to be the next member of Congress from New York.

The Urban Dictionary has added "Scozzafavaed" to its pages.

Scozzafavaed (Pronounced: /skoʊzəfavəd/) -verb

1. Purged of moderation, e.g., within in a Congressional district
2. Inadvertently revealed internal chaos, e.g., within in (sic) a political party
3. Adj., Doomed due to popular support of the GOP electorate
"Dude, you see Glenn Beck talking about how our congressman supports indoctrinating us in the ways of socialism through paper money last night?

Bill Owens

Owens Announces Support For House Dems' Health Care Bill

Eric Kleefeld | November 6, 2009, 1:24PM

Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY) can be counted on as a "yes" in this weekend's expected vote on the House Democrats' health care bill, announcing his support in a press release.

"This legislation will reform the insurance industry and provide increased access to affordable healthcare without taxing healthcare benefits, cutting Medicare benefits or raising taxes on the middle class, and that is exactly the direction we need to go," said Owens. "There are still changes I would like to make, including raising the payroll exemption for small businesses, but like I said last week, there is a fundamental need for reform and we must act with a sense of urgency."

Owens won a narrow upset victory in this past Tuesday's NY-23 election, defeating the Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman who had opposed the bill, and picking up the seat for the Democrats. Owens's position here is in line with his prior statements at a debate held last week, shortly before the election.

His full statement is available after the jump.

Read more »

Bill Owens

Bill Owens Sworn In As Congressman For New York's 23rd District

Eric Kleefeld | November 6, 2009, 1:13PM

Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY) has just been sworn in as the member of the House of Representatives for the NY-23 district, after winning this past Tuesday's special election and picking up a previously GOP-held seat for the Democrats.

His certificate of election has not been finalized yet, but the outcome of the race is not in any doubt, and his Conservative Party opponent Doug Hoffman conceded the race. Thus, Owens was able to be sworn into office as soon as was practical.

The following is the prepared text of his first speech to the House:

"Madam Speaker,

"I am honored to be here with you all today, and to join you in our continuing effort to build a better, stronger America. This is a proud day for me and my family but it is also a sad day for our country. The shooting at Fort Hood last night that claimed the lives of 13 fine Americans is a stunning reminder of how quickly the peace we enjoy here at home can turn to violence, and how heavily we rely on our brave men and women to keep us free from harm. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, and with our soldiers to whom we owe our safety and our freedom.

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Bill Owens

Bill Owens To Be Sworn In At About Noon Today

Eric Kleefeld | November 6, 2009, 11:37AM

Rep.-elect Bill Owens (D-NY)

Rep.-elect Bill Owens (D-NY) will be sworn in today at about noon, Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office has confirmed.

Owens's win this past Tuesday in the NY-23 special election was a bright spot for Democrats on an otherwise dreary night, with his victory over Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman giving Democrats a pick-up of a seat that they literally did not hold during the entire 20th century.

Owens will also be meeting with President Obama at 4:25 p.m. ET today. During his campaign Owens had initially been skeptical of a strong public option, but was later supportive of the milder version contained in the current House health care bill. So don't be surprised if the upcoming health care vote, in which Owens could very well make the difference between passage and failure, is a major topic of discussion.

Barack Obama

Obama Meeting With Newly Elected Rep. Owens, Caucus Pushed To Saturday

Christina Bellantoni | November 5, 2009, 10:23PM

Capital Building and President Barack Obama

Bill Owens will have been a member of Congress less than five hours when he is treated to a private sit-down with President Obama.

The White House said Obama is scheduled to meet with Owens in the Oval Office Friday at 4:25 p.m. after the president returns from a visit to Walter Reed.

Owens (D-NY) was elected Tuesday night after defeating Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. Speaker Nancy Pelosi will host the swearing-in ceremony around noon Friday.

He was a bright spot in a lousy night for the party in the elections in the Northeast, and the first Democrat to hold the seat since the Civil War.

TPMDC reported earlier that Obama is meeting with House Democrats during a caucus meeting before they vote on health care. That was scheduled for Friday but the White House just announced the meeting will be Saturday instead.

Late update: Vice President Biden on Friday will speak via phone to "members of the House of Representatives about the need to pass health insurance reform." In announcing Biden's schedule, the White House didn't specify if he was speaking to Democrats and Republicans or just one party. TPMDC will update when we find out.

Doug Hoffman

Doug Hoffman To Speak At North Carolina Republican Dinner

Eric Kleefeld | November 5, 2009, 4:51PM

NY-23 Candidate Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate and de facto last-minute Republican nominee who narrowly lost the NY-23 special election to Democrat Bill Owens this past Tuesday, isn't done yet with politics -- he's headed down South, to speak at a North Carolina Republican event.

As Tom Jensen of Public Policy Polling (D) reports:

I've been pretty sure the Republicans will get back control of the North Carolina legislature next year but now I'm not underestimating their chances to defeat themselves.

Just got an e-mail from the party that they're bringing in Doug Hoffman to speak at their Hall of Fame dinner in a couple weeks. The same Doug Hoffman of course who managed to blow a Congressional seat the party had held for over a century.

NY-23

Minuteman PAC Blames Dede For Hoffman's Loss, Vows To Keep Fighting GOP Establishment

Eric Kleefeld | November 4, 2009, 3:17PM

NY-23 Candidates Dede Scozzafava (R) and Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

The Republican fratricide that cost the GOP the NY-23 special election is only going to keep on going, with the Minuteman PAC -- the anti-illegal immigration group that endorsed Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman -- vowing to keep up the fight in a new e-mail to their supporter list:

And, the vote totals revealed that reality late last night when it appeared that Bill Owen's margin of victory was the same percentage of votes cast for Scozzafava.

The moral of the story? Had Scozzafava not run, Hoffman would have easily won the election!!!

STOP MORE SCOZZAFAVA SPOILERS! HELP MINUTEMAN PAC RE-ARM FOR 2010!

...

After Minuteman PAC stepped into the race on behalf of Hoffman to expose Scozzafava and Owens' liberal records, Scozzafava was forced to abandon her campaign and her true colors were exposed to the entire country. . .

And Minuteman PAC will continue aiming at key races where brave patriot candidates have enlisted to unseat or defeat anti-American candidates! That's why we cannot sulk, we cannot rest, we must keep fighting. . .

The full e-mail is available after the jump.

Read more »

Bill Owens

Republican Leadership Aide: Owens Implies He'd Oppose Health Care Reform

Brian Beutler | November 4, 2009, 3:00PM

NY-23 candidate Bill Owens (D)

In response to this scientific post by TPMDC, a Republican House leadership aide sends over a link to Bill Owens' campaign website to suggest that Owens ought to oppose "the Pelosi health care bill". Here are the key bullet points.

Bill Owens is opposed to:

• Opposes: Medicare benefit cuts. We can all agree that there are inefficiencies and waste in the system, but any savings should be used to strengthen Medicare.
• Opposes: Taxing health care benefits.
• Opposes: Increasing taxes on the middle class in any way.

Of these, the only one that could legitimately cause Owens any grief is the first. The House bill doesn't tax health care benefits or the middle class. It does extract waste from Medicare, in part by reining in over-payments by Medicare Advantage plans, and those savings are not rerouted back into Medicare. But does that mean he should oppose the bill. It doesn't sound like he thinks he should, but we have a call in to his campaign staff for some clarity.

Sarah Palin

Palin: NY-23 Race Isn't Over, 'Just Postponed Until 2010'

Eric Kleefeld | November 4, 2009, 12:57PM

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK), whose endorsement of Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in the NY-23 special election helped to give him a huge boost against moderate Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava, posted this note last night on her Facebook account, commenting on Hoffman's defeat by Democrat Bill Owens:

The race for New York's 23rd District is not over, just postponed until 2010. The issues of this election have always centered on the economy - on the need for fiscal restraint, smaller government, and policies that encourage jobs. In 2010, these issues will be even more crucial to the electorate. I commend Doug Hoffman and all the other under-dog candidates who have the courage to put themselves out there and run against the odds.

Read more »

Health Care

Yesterday's Overwhelming Historic Republican Victory Makes Democratic Health Care Reform Just A Bit Easier

Brian Beutler | November 4, 2009, 10:04AM

Lt. Gov. John Garamendi (D-CA) and Congressman-elect Bill Owens (D)

Most of the commentary about last night's elections has centered around Republican pickups in the New Jersey and Virginia statehouses. But what's gone largely unnoticed is that the two congressional seats up for grabs last night both went to Democrats, and that will have immediate ramifications for health care reform.

The NY-23 seat abdicated by Republican John McHugh (who resigned to become Secretary of the Army) went to Democrat Bill Owens--the first Democrat to hold the seat in over a century. And the CA-10 seat abdicated by Democrat Ellen Tauscher (who resigned to become Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs) went to Democrat John Garamendi.

That creates some simple arithmetic. Yesterday, Democrats had 256 voting members in the House. By week's end, they'll have 258. Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could afford to lose no more than 38 Democratic votes on a landmark health care reform bill. Next week, after Owens and Garamendi are sworn in, she can lose up to 40. For legislation this historic and far-reaching, she'll need every vote she can get--and both seem likely to support reform.

Read more »

NY-23

NY-23: Owens Wins In Race That Captured National Spotlight

Christina Bellantoni | November 4, 2009, 12:18AM

NY-23 Candidates Bill Owens (D) and Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

Democrats have captured the 23rd Congressional District in New York.

CNN and Fox News called the race for Democrat Bill Owens, making him the first Democrat to hold the upstate New York seat since the Civil War. With 87 percent of precincts reporting, Owens led conservative party candidate Doug Hoffman by 49-45.

Read more »

NY-23

Dem Owens Maintains Lead In NY-23 With 76% Precincts Reporting

Versha Sharma | November 3, 2009, 11:29PM

NY-23 Candidates Bill Owens (D) and Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

Democrat Bill Owens is leading by 4 points in the NY-23 congressional race with 76% of precincts reporting. Owens is currently at 49% over Conservative Doug Hoffman's 45%.

As we noted earlier, Owens could be the only Democrat win in today's elections.

NY-23

Owens Leads In NY-23 As Democrats Have One Chance To Avoid Full Sweep

Christina Bellantoni | November 3, 2009, 10:31PM

NY-23 Candidates Bill Owens (D) and Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

Democrat Bill Owens leads conservative party candidate Doug Hoffman by 51-44 percent with one-third of precincts reporting.

If Owens hangs onto that margin, New York's 23rd Congressional district will be the only bright spot on the map for Democrats tonight.

NY-23

NY-23: Too Close To Call

Christina Bellantoni | November 3, 2009, 10:10PM

NY-23 Candidates Bill Owens (D) and Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

Polls have been closed for more than an hour in New York's 23rd Congressional district, but neither candidate has a clear advantage.

Democrat Bill Owens has a slight lead over Doug Hoffman, the conservative party candidate, with early returns trickling in.

The victor will replace Republican John McHugh, who President Obama named to be his secretary of the Army.

Hoffman appeared earlier on Fox:

NY-23

Voting Machine Breakdowns May Delay Results In NY-23

Rachel Slajda | November 3, 2009, 9:19PM

NY-23 Candidates Bill Owens (D) and Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

Voting machine malfunctions may delay election results from four towns in New York's 23rd district, reports the Johnson News Service.

The breakdowns, in Louisville, Waddington, Rossie and Clare, happened earlier today on new voting machines, according to the St. Lawrence County Board of Elections deputy commissioner.

And in Fulton County, results won't be posted online and likely won't be available to the media until tomorrow.

Read more »

NY-23

Report: 86 Percent Of Owens' Cash From Outside District

Rachel Slajda | November 3, 2009, 6:52PM

NY-23 candidate Bill Owens (D)

Yesterday, we showed you this report by The Washington Independent that a whopping 95 percent of Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman's cash came from outside the district. Today, the Independent crunched some more numbers and found that Democrat Bill Owens also got most of his cash from outside the district -- 86 percent of it.

Only $121,596 of Owens' total (as of Oct. 15) $843,441 came from the district. The biggest donor, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, contributed about 11 percent.

By contrast, $12,360 of the $265,341 Hoffman raised by that same date came from inside the district. His biggest donor was the conservative Club for Growth, which raised more than a third of that.

NY-23

Hoffman Camp, Right-Wing Bloggers Accuse Dems Of Slashing Supporter's Car -- Police Say He Drove Over Bottle

Eric Kleefeld | November 3, 2009, 6:07PM

Earlier today, the Hoffman campaign and conservative bloggers threw a fit over a very nefarious accusation: That somebody had slashed the tire of a Hoffman poll-watcher's pickup truck.

"Hoffman Poll Watcher Has Tires Slashed," blared Red State, with photos of the truck and its flat tire. And Hoffman himself chimed in.

"We just had a report that one of our pollsters in Clinton County just had their tires slashed," Hoffman said. "So I think the Democrats are doing everything they possibly can to steal this election away from the 23rd District."

However, the Wall Street Journal reports that the local police captain said there's another explanation: "This was not a tire slashing--this was some guy who drove over a bottle and cut his tire."

Amusingly, Red State updated their post as follows: "[updated:] Local police are not willing to confirm it was a tire slashing and say it could be that the poll watcher ran over a bottle."

NY-23

Scozzafava: No Republicans Bothered To Call Me After I Dropped Out

Eric Kleefeld | November 3, 2009, 1:43PM

Former NY-23 House candidate Dede Scozzafava (R)

Dede Scozzafava, the New York state Assemblywoman and former Republican candidate in the NY-23 special election, told the Syracuse Post-Standard about her experience in withdrawing from the race and endorsing Democrat Bill Owens -- and decried the national conservative activists who mobilized against her and in favor of Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.

Scozzafava said that she received calls from two key New York Democrats, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Steve Israel, who she says did not ask her for any endorsement but instead simply told her they were sorry for how she'd been treated by the GOP. As for the Republicans, Scozzafava said: "The one thing that wasn't occurring, as the Republicans in Washington were changing their allegiances, no one bothered to call me."

Read more »

NY-23

Report: Police Called To NY-23 Polling Sites...To Deal With Rowdy Hoffman-Backers

Eric Kleefeld | November 3, 2009, 1:30PM

NY-23 Candidate Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

We now have a report of on-the-ground mischief in NY-23, the sort of interference that Republicans have been warning about for today. The catch: Democrats are claiming that the mischief is coming from supporters of the Conservative candidate, Doug Hoffman.

The New York Daily News reports that police were called to polling sites in St. Lawrence County, a Democratic area in the district, to deal with some rowdy Hoffman-backers.

Former state Democratic chairwoman June O'Neill claimed that Hoffman-supporters are "yelling anti-choice stuff at voters" near the polls, that a woman involved said she was a "commissioner" -- and is allegedly from Texas -- and wouldn't leave the polling site. "This is not the way we roll in the North Country," O'Neill quipped.

The county's Republican election commissioner Debbie Pahler (each county in New York has two election commissioners, one Democrat and one Republican) confirmed to the paper that the police were called, but said that this was a routine matter of people electioneering within the 100-feet boundary around a polling site. "If people are electioneering within the marker and don't stop when we ask them to, our inspectors are instructed to call law enforcement to assist them. I don't think anybody was arrested."