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."

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NY-23

Former NY-23 GOP Nominee Dede Scozzafava To Retire From New York State Legislature

Eric Kleefeld | April 21, 2010, 1:48PM

Former NY-23 House candidate Dede Scozzafava (R)

New York state Rep. Dede Scozzafava, a Republican who dramatically withdrew from last year's NY-23 special election and then endorsed Democrat Bill Owens, has announced that she will not run again for her seat in the legislature.

"If you go back to the run for Congress, I was really looking to do something different and go in a different direction and be challenged differently," said Scozzafava, the Watertown Daily Times reports. "That hasn't changed. As much as I've enjoyed my time in the state Assembly, I think it's time for me to take a breather and go in a different direction."

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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.

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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.

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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?"

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Olympia Snowe

Family Research Council PAC: We Would Support A Primary Against Olympia Snowe

Eric Kleefeld | November 11, 2009, 5:40PM

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME)

I just spoke to Connie Mackey, president of the Family Research Council Action PAC, and she told me that if a conservative candidate were to emerge to run against Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) in the 2012 Republican primary, FRC Action will back them.

"Well of course there is an audience that would love to see Olympia Snowe out of office, within the ranks of social conservatives, that's for certain," said Mackey.

A new survey from Public Policy Polling (D) found that a generic conservative challenger would lead the moderate Snowe in a Republican primary by a whopping 59%-31% margin.

"I think a couple years ago, we wouldn't have thought it was possible," said Mackey. "However, those numbers are interesting, and I think those numbers might just track the fact that a lot of Americans are waking up to the liberal policies, what they mean and how they're playing out. And it may be affecting her, with her votes for the stimulus, and breaking from her party. And we would like to see a conservative have a chance to remove her from office up there."

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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?

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.

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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.

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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.

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FL-SEN

Is Charlie Crist The Next Moderate GOPer On Right-Wing Hit List?

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 3, 2009, 3:21PM

Florida Governor Charlie Crist (R)

No matter what the final outcome, the NY-23 race has changed the game for Republican primaries. Conservatives across the country are now in a search for the next Dede Scozzafava, the establishment GOP nominee Conservative party candidate Doug Hoffman was able to defeat by convincing rank-and-file Republicans to leave the candidate their party's leaders had chosen.

In Florida, Marco Rubio's campaign says conservatives have found their new Dede in Gov. Charlie Crist.

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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."

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NY-23

Owens: Limbaugh's Attack On Scozzafava 'Offends Me Personally' And 'Exemplifies Exactly What's Wrong With Hoffman'

Eric Kleefeld | November 2, 2009, 6:16PM

NY-23 candidates Dede Scozzafava (R) and Bill Owens (D)

Democratic NY-23 candidate Bill Owens is jumping to the defense of Dede Scozzafava, his Republican former rival who dropped out of the race and endorsed him against Conservative Doug Hoffman, following an attack on her by Rush Limbaugh.

Limbaugh declared today that Scozzafava was "guilty of widespread bestiality. She has screwed every RINO in the country." Owens released this statement:

"This despicable attack on Assemblywoman Scozzafava offends me personally and exemplifies exactly what's wrong with Hoffman and his right wing backers. Assemblywoman Scozzafava is an honorable public servant who has served Upstate New York as an independent and principled leader who always prioritized the best interests of Upstate New York ahead of a partisan agenda. Rush Limbaugh and the rest of the right wing special interests that are running Hoffman's campaign can't even begin to compete with what she has accomplished over her career."

"Doug Hoffman and his supporters have sunk to a new low today. There is no excuse for this kind of shameful rhetoric and Doug Hoffman ought to denounce Limbaugh immediately."

NY-23

Boehner: 'Yes,' I Regret Giving Money To Dede Scozzafava

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 2, 2009, 4:46PM

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH)

The leader of Republicans in the House said today that he regrets backing his party's nominee in the NY-23 special election. At a press conference with reporters on health care this afternoon, House Minority Leader was asked if he regretted his past endorsement and financial support for Dede Scozzafava, the GOP nominee in the race who dropped out over the weekend and endorsed her Democratic rival.

"Yes," Boehner said, flatly.

"This lady clearly has an agenda that's different from that of the Republican Party," he added. "She was out there to promote herself."

Boehner said that like the rest of the GOP establishment, he's turned his allegiances to the Conservative Party candidate in the race, Doug Hoffman. Boehner said he "looks forward to welcoming" Hoffman into the GOP caucus and said he hopes Hoffman beats Democratic nominee Bill Owens tomorrow.

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NY-23

Scozzafava Records Robocall For Owens

Eric Kleefeld | November 2, 2009, 3:11PM

NY-23 candidates Dede Scozzafava (R) and Bill Owens (D)

Dede Scozzafava, the moderate Republican who withdrew this weekend from the NY-23 special election, after a national right-wing campaign in favor of Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, has now taken another step in her surprise endorsement of Democrat Bill Owens: Taping a robocall for him.

"It's not in the cards for me to be your representative but I strongly believe Bill Owens is the only candidate who can build upon [former GOP Congressman, now Secretary of the Army] John McHugh's lasting legacy in Congress," Scozzafava says. "In Bill Owens I see a sense of duty and integrity. He will be an independent voice, devoted to doing what is right for New York. To address the tough challenges ahead we must rise above partisanship and politics, and work together."

Click To Play

NY-23

Biden: Moderate Republican Voters Should Teach The GOP A Lesson, Vote Owens

Eric Kleefeld | November 2, 2009, 2:26PM

NY-23 candidates Bill Owens (D) and VP Joe Biden

At his rally today with NY-23 Democratic candidate Bill Owens, Vice President Biden tapped into the emerging narrative that the this election represents the expulsion of moderates from the Republican Party -- and that moderate GOP voters should vote for Owens in order to teach the GOP a lesson.

"We aren't asking you to switch your party," said Biden. "We are just saying join us in teaching a lesson to those absolutists who say no dissent is permitted within your own party."

This comes after Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava was driven out of the race for being too moderate, by a national right-wing campaign in favor of Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman, and Scozzafava's subsequent withdrawal and endorsement of Owens.

NY-23

Gingrich 'Deeply Upset' That Scozzafava Endorsed Democrat After He'd Supported Her

Eric Kleefeld | November 2, 2009, 11:07AM

Fmr. Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) and NY-23 candidate Dede Scozzafava (R)

Newt Gingrich, who had previously endorsed moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava in the NY-23 special election, now says he is "deeply upset" about her endorsement of Democrat Bill Owens after she withdrew from the race.

"How could she have accepted all that support?" said Gingrich, also adding: "I'm very, very let down because she told everybody she was a Republican, and she said she was a loyal Republican."

Gingrich had caught a lot of criticism on the right for supporting Scozzafava, and arguing that the Republican Party needs to have room for moderates. Now that Scozzafava has quit the race and endorsed the Democrat, due to campaign by the right to push her out in favor of Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, Gingrich will certainly have to work hard to undo the damage from his having bet on the wrong horse.

NY-23

GOPer Scozzafava Appears At Dem Owens Campaign Event

Eric Kleefeld | November 2, 2009, 10:34AM

NY-23 candidates Dede Scozzafava (R) and Bill Owens (D)

Dede Scozzafava, the former Republican candidate in the NY-23 special election who has now endorsed Democrat Bill Owens, made a surprise appearance at an Owens event last night.

The Watertown Daily Times reports:

On Sunday, at an Owens campaign event at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall on Gouverneur Street, Mr. Owens and Ms. Scozzafava talked politics during their meeting. She warned him to avoid the "hateful and divisive" tactics she said were used by her Conservative opponent.

"It's not about ideology," Ms. Scozzafava said. "It's about the local issues."

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NY-23

Poll: Hoffman Narrowly Ahead Of Owens, 41%-36%

Eric Kleefeld | November 2, 2009, 9:32AM

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

The new Siena poll of the NY-23 race gives Conservative Doug Hoffman a lead over Democrat Bill Owens -- but only a narrow one.

The numbers: Hoffman 41%, Owens 36%, and Republican Dede Scozzafava -- who dropped out of the race and endorsed the Democrat Owens, but is still on the ballot -- at 6%, with a whopping 18% undecided. In the previous poll from two days ago, before the whole fiasco mentioned previously, Owens had 36%, Hoffman 35%, Scozzafava 20%, and only 9% were undecided.

This is in contrast to last night's Public Policy Polling (D) survey, which gave Hoffman a double-digit lead. When two reputable pollsters differ, the tie should probably go to the local one, Siena, in terms of which to put greater faith in -- but in any case we'll find out the truth tomorrow night, when people actually vote.

From the pollster's analysis: "With nearly one in five voters undecided the day before Election Day and voters still trying to comprehend the dramatic withdrawal of Scozzafava, and her subsequent endorsement of Owens, this is still a wide open race. The two candidates and campaigns are both in a sprint to try and convince these undecided voters to support them. Which ever campaign succeeds in convincing the undecided voters and then getting them to the polls tomorrow, will likely be looking at a victory tomorrow night."

NY-23

Poll: Hoffman Leads Owens In NY-23

Eric Kleefeld | November 1, 2009, 11:44PM

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

The new survey of the NY-23 special election from Public Policy Polling (D) finds Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman with a solid lead over Democrat Bill Owens, in a race that has seen a topsy-turvy weekend as moderate GOP nominee Dede Scozzafava dropped out and endorsed Owens.

The numbers: Hoffman 51%, Owens 34%, and Scozzafava (whose name remains on the ballot) 13%, with a ±2.3% margin of error. In a strict two-way matchup, Hoffman leads Owens by 54%-38%.

One caveat: Special elections are notoriously hard to poll -- especially a race as crazy as this one -- and this survey does have some inconsistencies from others. For example, only 39% of its likely voter pool approves of President Obama, with 52% disapproving. By contrast, the Siena poll gave Obama a favorable rating of 59%-37%. (True, "approval" and "favorable" are two different questions, but even then they shouldn't have answers that are this different.)

So which numbers should be believed? The simple answer is that we don't know. Either one of them could be right, or both could be wrong. We'll find out soon enough, on Tuesday night.

NY-23

In NY-23 Bombshell, Republican Scozzafava Endorses Democrat Owens

Eric Kleefeld | November 1, 2009, 2:57PM

NY-23 candidates Bill Owens (D), Dede Scozzafava (R), and Doug Hoffman (C)

In a huge development in the NY-23 special election, moderate Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava -- who dropped out of the race yesterday, in the face of bad fundraising and polling numbers that had shown she'd lost GOP support to Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman -- has now endorsed Democrat Bill Owens.

Scozzafava's campaign had been undermined by national right-wing activists who denounced her liberal social views -- she is pro-choice and pro-gay marriage -- and now she's doing what she can to prevent their own candidate Hoffman from winning:

You know me, and throughout my career, I have been always been an independent voice for the people I represent. I have stood for our honest principles, and a truthful discussion of the issues, even when it cost me personally and politically. Since beginning my campaign, I have told you that this election is not about me; it's about the people of this District.

It is in this spirit that I am writing to let you know I am supporting Bill Owens for Congress and urge you to do the same.

Scozzafava's name remains on the ballot as the Republican candidate, but she'll be voting for the Democrat Owens. Scozzafava's full statement is available after the jump.

Late Update: Scozzafava's former campaign spokesman Matt Burns gives us this comment, breaking with his former boss: "Dede is entitled to her own opinion, as is everyone, but I obviously disagree with her decision (to support Owens). I am supporting Doug Hoffman, because denying Nancy Pelosi another foot soldier is vital to restoring fiscal responsibility and common sense in Washington."

Late Late Update: We asked NRCC spokesman Ken Spain for comment, and he simply pointed us to this statement from earlier today, which was released in order to promise a seat on the House Armed Services Committee for Hoffman if he is elected: "There are only two candidates that remain in this race and voters are interested in two things. The candidate best positioned and suited to protect Fort Drum and continue the legacy of John McHugh is Doug Hoffman as the Republican leadership pledged to secure support for him on the House Armed Services Committee earlier today. Secondly, only Doug Hoffman is willing to stand up to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and put the brakes on her agenda of massive government takeovers and less jobs."

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NY-23

Flashback: GOP Used To Badmouth Hoffman, Said He Had No Integrity

Eric Kleefeld | October 31, 2009, 5:42PM

NY-23 Candidate Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

Now that the national Republican Party has gotten behind Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in the NY-23 special election -- following the withdrawal of moderate GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava -- it's fun to remember that the Republicans didn't always feel so fondly about Hoffman.

As The Hill reported a month ago, NRCC spokesman Paul Lindsay said that Scozzafava was the right candidate, who was picked by the local party leaders and had an appeal to the district's voters.

As for Lindsay's view of Hoffman, who had also interviewed with party leaders for the nomination: "Fortunately, the local Republican county chairs had the foresight to see that Doug Hoffman lacked the integrity and qualities needed to be elected to anything -- let alone Congress."

NY-23

DCCC: NY-23 Race Means Moderates Aren't Welcome In GOP

Eric Kleefeld | October 31, 2009, 4:57PM

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

The Democrats are quick to spin today's big news in NY-23 -- that moderate Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava has dropped out, and the party has now endorsed insurgent Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman -- as a sign of the GOP becoming more and more extreme.

DCCC spokesman Ryan Rudominer gives us this statement: "The Republican Party's extreme right wing ideologues sent a chilling message to the few remaining moderate Republican Members and candidates: moderates are not welcome in the Republican Party and differing opinions will not be tolerated."

Rudominer also says the GOP has bungled this race: "The NRCC mishandled the race from day 1. The NRCC spent nearly $1 million (which is a quarter of their current cash on hand) on a race where they didn't understand the district or how the NY State party line ballot worked, they actively criticized the Conservative Party candidate, and they couldn't lock in the endorsements of Republican Party leaders."

NY-23

RNC Backs Hoffman In NY-23 Shakeup

Christina Bellantoni | October 31, 2009, 1:35PM

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

The Republican National Committee announced it will immediately back Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman following GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava's campaign suspension in the special election in New York's 23rd Congressional district.

Here is Chairman Mike Steele's statement.

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NY-23

Owens, Hoffman Seek Scozzafava's Moderate GOP Voters In New Statements

Eric Kleefeld | October 31, 2009, 12:31PM

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

The two remaining candidates in the NY-23 special election, Democrat Bill Owens and Conservative Doug Hoffman, have now each reacted to moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava dropping out of the race.

Owens gave a conciliatory note, praising Scozzafava's public service and denouncing Hoffman as a right-wing extremist, a clear play for Scozzafava's voters:

"Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava has been an honorable public servant for years now and I have a tremendous amount of respect for her and her commitment to her principles. While we disagree on certain issues, we share a dedication to serving the best interests of Upstate New York and the Obama administration's efforts to get our economy back on track. Those interests will always be my highest priority."

"I remain focused on my campaign. Over the next 4 days I will continue traveling the district to discuss my record of helping create jobs and my plans to continue that work in Congress."

"Voters have a clear choice on Tuesday: they can elect to go back to the George Bush economic agenda, or they can vote to move forward. Doug Hoffman and the Club for Growth's extremist agenda won't do a thing to get our economy moving again. While Doug Hoffman is solely committed to continuing tax cuts for the wealthy which will add $500 billion to the deficit, protecting tax breaks for companies who ship jobs overseas, and privatizing Social Security, I will fight to turn the page on that agenda. I will work to create jobs Upstate to get our economy back on track because that is the type of leadership we need right now in Congress."

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NY-23

NRCC Officially Endorses Conservative Party's Hoffman In NY-23

Eric Kleefeld | October 31, 2009, 11:42AM

NY-23 Candidate Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

A GOP source tells TPM that the National Republican Congressional Committee is going to get behind Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in the NY-23 special election, now that moderate Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava has dropped out.

Hoffman is in a close race with Democrat Bill Owens, and Scozzafava suspended her campaign today after polls showed her in third place. With the NRCC's backing, Hoffman will go from insurgent third-party candidate to being the de facto new Republican nominee (though Scozzafava will still be on the ballot as the GOP's candidate).

NRCC chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX) will have a statement out shortly.

Late Update: The NRCC has released a joint statement -- co-signed by Sessions, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) -- backing Hoffman. It is available after the jump.

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NY-23

NY-23 GOPer Scozzafava Suspends Campaign

Eric Kleefeld | October 31, 2009, 11:13AM

Former NY-23 House candidate Dede Scozzafava (R)

In a huge development in the NY-23 special election, Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava has announced that she is suspending her campaign, citing an inability to win in light of recent polls and a lack of money -- leaving this race as a vote between Democrat Bill Owens and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, and a strong message that the Republican Party can no longer nominate moderate candidates, or else face a right-wing revolt.

Scozzafava told the Watertown Daily Times that the new Siena poll, which said she was in third place, meant that she would be unable to catch up with Owens and Hoffman.

Interestingly, Scozzafava did not expressly endorse Hoffman in her statement, but simply released her supporters to "transfer their support as they see fit to do so," and hoped for a stronger Republican Party:

It is increasingly clear that pressure is mounting on many of my supporters to shift their support. Consequently, I hereby release those individuals who have endorsed and supported my campaign to transfer their support as they see fit to do so. I am and have always been a proud Republican. It is my hope that with my actions today, my Party will emerge stronger and our District and our nation can take an important step towards restoring the enduring strength and economic prosperity that has defined us for generations.

The big question now, then, is how Scozzafava's voters will break down between Owens and Hoffman, and how many might still pick her as a protest vote (she will still be on the ballot). Her platform was socially liberal and economically conservative, and there was a lot of bad blood between the local GOP and Conservative campaigns. So let's see what happens next.

Scozzafava's full statement is available after the jump.

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NY-23

Poll: Dem And Conservative In Tight Race For NY-23, GOPer In Third

Eric Kleefeld | October 31, 2009, 10:00AM

NY-23 candidates Bill Owens (D), Dede Scozzafava (R), and Doug Hoffman (C)

The new Siena poll further confirms that the NY-23 special election has become a tight race between Democrat Bill Owens and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, with moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava in third place for this GOP-held seat.

The numbers: Owens 36%, Hoffman 35%, and Scozzafava 20%, with a ±3.7% margin of error. In the previous Siena poll from two weeks ago, Owens had led with 33%, Scozzafava was in second with 29%, and Hoffman trailed with 23%.

In addition, the new poll finds that only 29% of likely voters view Scozzafava favorably, with 51% viewing her unfavorably. By contrast, Owens is in positive territory at 40%-36%, and Hoffman at 41%-37%.

"Unfortunately for Assemblywoman Scozzafava, this has become a two person race between Owens and Hoffman," said Siena pollster Steven Greenberg, in the polling memo. "She now has the support of only one in five voters, having gone from 35 percent support to 20 percent support since the beginning of the month."

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NY-23

Biden To Campaign For Bill Owens; Hoffman Gets John Rich

Eric Kleefeld | October 30, 2009, 4:22PM

NY-23 candidates Bill Owens (D) and VP Joe Biden

Vice President Biden will be headed to upstate New York this Monday, to campaign for Democratic candidate Bill Owens in the NY-23 special election.

Biden's visit is coming the day before the election, in a final push to get out the Democratic vote against Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman and Republican Dede Scozzafava.

Hoffman will be bringing in his own big name: Country singer John Rich, who will be headlining a GOTV rally on Monday.

NY-23

Pataki, More Republicans Back Conservative Party's Hoffman In NY-23

Eric Kleefeld | October 30, 2009, 9:53AM

NY-23 Congressional Candidate Doug Hoffman (Conservative) and Fmr. Gov. George Pataki (R-NY)

More Republican endorsements are piling up for Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in NY-23, instead of the moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava, with the most prominent being former three-term Gov. George Pataki.

In his endorsement, Pataki declares that electing Scozzafava would give "another vote to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. This run to the right is especially interesting, considering that Pataki himself used to have a reputation as a moderate, socially liberal Republican.

Hoffman has also been endorsed by an additional 11 House Republicans: Todd Akin (MO), Paul Broun (GA), Mary Fallin (OK), Jeff Flake (AZ), John Fleming (LA), Trent Franks (AZ), Steve King (IA), Tom McClintock (CA), Jerry Moran (KS) John Shadegg (AZ) and Mark Souder (IN). From that list, Moran is currently running for Senate, and his opponent in the primary, Rep. Todd Tiahrt, endorsed Hoffman a week ago.

Bill Owens

Three Candidates Debate In NY-23: A Moderate Democrat Versus Two Republicans

Eric Kleefeld | October 29, 2009, 9:13PM

NY-23 candidates Bill Owens (D), Dede Scozzafava (R), and Doug Hoffman (C)

The three candidates for this Tuesday's NY-23 special election -- Democrat Bill Owens, moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava, and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman -- debated today with the local ABC affiliate in Syracuse, the only meeting of all three candidates in a special election that has caught the eyes of the national media.

One very important element of this debate was that the issues where Scozzafava takes her more liberal positions -- she is pro-choice, supports gay marriage, and supports the Employee Free Choice Act -- simply didn't come up at all. As a result, the focus on prominent economic issues like taxes, health care and job creation really did turn this into a debate between one Democrat and two Republicans, and as a result this meant Scozzafava was effectively tacking to the right.

One running theme of the debate, though, was the sheer enmity between the two Republicans, the regular GOP nominee Scozzafava, and the insurgent Conservative Hoffman. Scozzafava clearly viewed Hoffman as an agent of outside interests, the national right-wing groups that have backed him as opposed to her local support and concern for local issues, while Hoffman presented himself as the only real Republican -- and as noted above, the issues on which he's really differentiated from her didn't even come up.

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NY-23

Rick Perry Endorses Conservative Party's Hoffman In NY-23

Eric Kleefeld | October 29, 2009, 6:01PM

Texas Governor Rick Perry (R), NY-23 Congressional Candidate Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate in the NY-23 special election, has picked up another endorsement from a prominent Republican, Texas Gov. Rick Perry:

"There is a reason that our party lost power in Washington DC. A lot of folks went to Congress wearing the Republican jersey, but far too many played the game like Democrats. People around Texas -- and frankly, all around the country -- are fed up with the federal government."

Endorsing Hoffman, stead of the moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava, has now become something of a litmus test for true-believing conservatism. It should be noted, of course, that Perry is facing a challenge in the Republican primary in 2010, from U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. And Perry has also been endorsed by Sarah Palin -- who has also endorsed Hoffman.

NY-23

Could NY-23 GOP Candidate Be Siphoning Votes From The Democrat?

Eric Kleefeld | October 29, 2009, 4:54PM

NY-23 Candidate Dede Scozzafava (R)

With polls showing moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava in third place in the NY-23 special election, behind Democrat Bill Owens and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, she may have to deal with a label that is not often applied to major-party candidates -- that of the spoiler. But who, exactly, is she spoiling?

Prof. Larry Sabato from the University of Virginia posited an interesting hypothesis to me: That Scozzafava's remaining vote is not a conservative Republican base vote that would go to Hoffman, since voters on the right have already been coalescing around him, but she could actually be drawing more from the moderate Democrat Owens.

"Most people think of that as just a rock solid Republican vote, but who are those people?" Sabato said. "They're people who now know, for the most part, that Scozzafava is a liberal Republican. They get it. And a lot of them are really unhappy with Hoffman, so are they really gonna back Hoffman?"

As this idea goes -- and keep in mind that it's not a solid pronouncement, but simply an interpretation of the data as it stands now -- if the Republican continues to fall, it could end up helping the Democrat in a district that voted 52% for Barack Obama in 2008, and where a majority might find a Democrat preferable to the right-wing Conservative.