New York's 23rd congressional district special election, 2009
Encyclopedia
The 2009 special election for New York's 23rd congressional district was held on November 3, 2009, to select the successor to Republican
John M. McHugh
. McHugh was nominated to become United States Secretary of the Army
on June 2, 2009 and resigned as representative of New York's 23rd congressional district
on September 21, 2009 after being confirmed by the Senate.
The Democratic Party
and the Working Families Party
nominated businessman
and attorney Bill Owens, and the Conservative Party of New York
nominated businessman and accountant
Doug Hoffman
. The Republican Party
and Independence Party
nominated State Assembly
member Dierdre Scozzafava
, who withdrew from the race three days before the election and endorsed Owens. On Election Day, Owens defeated Hoffman.
The 2009 special election received significant national attention, and was alternately described as "a referendum on President Barack Obama
" and "a fight over the identity of the Republican Party." The race was also noteworthy due to the Tea Party influence on its outcome, and for its impact on same-sex marriage legislation in New York.
. McHugh was first elected in 1992, and was reelected eight times with over 60% of the vote, including running unopposed in 2002. Republicans also dominated most other levels of government as well; well into the 1990s most of the district's living residents had never been represented by a Democrat above the county level.
Although McHugh was consistently elected with over 60% of the vote, in recent years the district has been more competitive in United States presidential elections. George W. Bush
narrowly carried the district in both 2004
against John Kerry
, 51%–47%. He also would have carried the district in 2000
against Al Gore
under the current boundaries (49%–47%). However, Gore narrowly defeated Bush in what was then the 24th district in 2000, repeating Bill Clinton
's victory there in 1996
. Barack Obama
defeated John McCain
in the district 52%–47% in 2008.
Democrats had also recently done well at the state level. In a 2008 special election for New York's 48th State Senate district (which is coextensive with the northwestern portion of the 23rd congressional district and includes Watertown), Democratic Assemblyman Darrel Aubertine
defeated heavily favored Republican Assemblyman Will Barclay
. Aubertine became the first Democrat to represent what is now the 48th Senate district in over a century. The seat had been held by Republican James W. Wright
for 18 years and by McHugh for seven years before that. Aubertine won a full term with 53 percent of the vote in November 2008.
On September 29, 2009, New York Governor
David Paterson
issued a proclamation setting the special election to fill the vacancy for November 3, 2009, to coincide with the 2009 general election. New York
law does not provide for a primary election
in cases of a special election for a vacant House
seat. Instead, each party's nominee is chosen by that party's county leaders within the district.
, State Assemblywoman; Doug Hoffman
, businessman and accountant; Ronald Uva, obstetrician and gynecologist; Joshua Lynch, Waddington
native; Matthew Doheny, investment portfolio
manager; and Gary Cooke, Essex County
veterinarian
. Three other Republicans, Robert Taub, McHugh's chief of staff, State Senator
Joseph Griffo
, and State Assemblyman Will Barclay were considered potential candidates, but all declined to run.
Scozzafava was designated as the Republican nominee and Hoffman later received the nomination of the Conservative Party of New York
. On October 31, 2009, Scozzafava suspended her campaign and, on November 1, 2009, endorsed the Democratic candidate for the seat.
, who represents most of the southern portion of the congressional district, initially said he was interested in running, but later decided against it. It was reported that the Democratic party leaders hesitated to nominate either Valesky or Aubertine because the Democrats had a shaky two-seat majority in the State Senate. Aubertine and Valesky are two of only seven Democrats in the chamber from outside New York City. Also declining to run was assemblywoman Addie Jenne Russell
, whose district includes Watertown.
Other potential candidates included Andrew Bisselle, director of the YMCA Camp Dudley, a Republican who said his views mirrored those of Blue Dog Democrats; Stuart Brody, former chairman of the Upstate Democratic Conference; Steve Burke, St. Lawrence County resident; Danny M. Francis, 1994 Democratic candidate; Robert J. Johnson, 2004 and 2006 candidate for the seat; Rudy Johnson, engineering consultant and retired United States Army veteran; Brian S. McGrath, Manhattan attorney, originally from Lowville; Mike Oot, 2008 Democratic candidate; David Ryan, Franklin County resident; and John T. Sullivan, Jr., former mayor of Oswego, New York
.
The chair of the New York Democratic Party stated that Scozzafava's husband had spoken with key local Democrats about the possibility of her switching to the Democratic Party before running for the seat.
The party eventually selected Bill Owens, a military veteran and attorney from Plattsburgh.
, an accountant from Lake Placid
who had previously run for the Republican nomination, each made presentations to the Conservative Party of New York
in August. The committee chose Doug Hoffman after the three other potential candidates said they would support him, even though Hoffman did not live in the district.
Hoffman had previously sought the Republican nomination. In July, when Scozzafava was nominated instead, he offered to help her. His email to her read: "Hi Dede, Congratulations and the best of luck in your candidacy. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Doug." Shortly thereafter, however, he contacted Conservative Party leaders, seeking support for his own candidacy. Hoffman later stated, "I never promised that I would support Dede Scozzafava." One Republican leader said that Hoffman, while seeking the Republican nomination, had "repeatedly" pledged to support the nominee.
announced that the party would have cross-endorsed Aubertine had he run, but with his decision not to run, the party instead backed Scozzafava. After she suspended her campaign, the state chairman of the party endorsed Bill Owens, though several local chairmen instead endorsed Hoffman. Scozzafava remained on the ballot on the Independence Party line (as well as the Republican line).
The Working Families Party
backed Owens. Under New York's fusion
rule, Owens's votes on the Democratic line and on the Working Families line were combined into a single total.
base. Fiscal and social conservative groups backed Hoffman's candidacy, including the Club for Growth
, the Susan B. Anthony List
, the National Organization for Marriage
, Concerned Women for America PAC, Citizens of the Republic, the American Conservative Union
, Eagle Forum
, and Family Research Council
PAC. The Susan B. Anthony List embarked on a $100,000 independent expenditure
campaign for Hoffman. Many notable Republicans, including former Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin
, Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty
of Minnesota and former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson, endorsed Hoffman rather than the Republican candidate because they deemed Scozzafava insufficiently conservative and ideologically indistinguishable from the Democrat. To illustrate this point, the Hoffman campaign ran television advertisements depicting Scozzafava and Owens as "two peas in a liberal pod." Hoffman indicated support for tax cuts, a pro-life stance on abortion, and support for an opposite-sex definition of marriage, as well as opposition to the Obama health reform proposal, card-check legislation, the Obama stimulus plan, and cap-and-trade legislation.
Scozzafava's record in the New York State Assembly included votes in favor of same-sex marriage, and she had also received an award from a Planned Parenthood affiliate in 2008. Scozzafava's political positions included support for "card check" legislation, support for federal funding for abortion, support for President Obama's 2009 stimulus package, and a refusal to rule out support for health care reform that includes a "public option." While Bill Owens did not favor public funding for abortion, he did support President Obama's 2009 stimulus package and "card check" legislation.
An October 1, 2009, poll by the Siena Research Institute
put Hoffman in third place with 16% support, behind Scozzafava with 35% and Owens with 28%. However, polls taken a few days before the election showed Scozzafava's support collapsing; an October 31 poll showed Scozzafava trailing both Hoffman and Owens by 15% and 16% respectively.
Scozzafava suspended her campaign on October 31. In response to the Scozzafava withdrawal, the Republican National Committee
(RNC), which had strongly backed Scozzafava’s candidacy, issued a statement applauding her decision and announcing it was now supporting Hoffman. National Democrats immediately began a "vigorous effort" to convince Scozzafava to endorse Owens. Politico
reported that Scozzafava was contacted regarding a potential endorsement by Rep. Steve Israel
, New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver
, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo
, and Sen. Chuck Schumer, who had been in touch with White House
Chief of Staff
Rahm Emanuel
, and former New York Democratic Party
chair June O'Neill. On November 1, Scozzafava endorsed Democratic nominee Owens.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich
, while having initially supported the GOP nominee, remarked that he was "deeply upset" about her endorsement of Owens after Scozzafava's withdrawal from the race. RNC Chairman Michael S. Steele
questioned party leaders in upstate New York for using a committee process to select a congressional candidate. "Maybe you should have a primary the next time instead of having 11 guys in a room sit around and select your nominee," said Steele. The New York Republican Party
issued a statement saying Scozzafava's endorsement was a "betrayal" of the party and said "In contacting Scozzafava, the Obama White House has once again played its Chicago-style politics here in New York."
Also on November 1, the "Democratic-leaning firm" Public Policy Polling
(PPP) released poll results indicating "Hoffman...at 51% to 34% for Bill Owens and 13% for Dede Scozzafava in the poll conducted over the weekend." Noting that the poll was conducted during "somewhat of a tumultuous polling weekend, first with Scozzafava’s withdrawal on Saturday and then with her endorsement of Owens on Sunday", PPP nonetheless remarked that "Hoffman led Owens by 18 points in interviews before Scozzafava’s withdrawal, 19 points in between her withdrawal and the announcement of her endorsement, and by 14
points subsequent to her encouraging people to vote for Owens."
On November 2, one day before the election, Siena released the results of a new poll showing Hoffman leading Owens 41% to 36%. Vice President
Joe Biden
appeared with Owens at a campaign rally in Watertown
on November 3, while former U.S. Senator
and 2008 presidential candidate
Fred Thompson appeared with Hoffman.
On Election Day
, police were called to at least two polling sites in St. Lawrence County
following "overzealous electioneering" by supporters of Hoffman. Later, Hoffman accused the Democratic Party of "bringing in ACORN
" and trying to "steal this election away from the 23rd district", asserting that a campaign volunteer's tires had been slashed. Anton Troianovski of The Wall Street Journal
later quoted Captain Michael Branch of the Plattsburgh City Police Department as saying "This was not a tire slashing—this was some guy who drove over a bottle and cut his tire."
† Poll commissioned by Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman
‡ Poll commissioned by the Club for Growth, which endorses Doug Hoffman
§ Poll commissioned by the Minuteman PAC, which endorses Doug Hoffman
, Owens appeared to defeat Hoffman, with the margin of defeat initially reported as 49.0% to 45.5%. Although Hoffman initially conceded, an initial re-canvass resulted in a Hoffman gain of approximately 2000 votes before military and absentee ballots were further factored in. Poll inspectors reported Mr. Hoffman had inadvertently received zero votes in four districts.
With absentee ballots having yet to be tallied, the results of the election could not be officially certified by the State of New York, though Owens was sworn in based upon unofficial results. Owens was seated in time to vote "yea" on the Affordable Health Care for America Act
on November 7, 2009.
Hoffman withdrew his concession on November 17, 2009. On November 18, in a letter posted on his campaign website, Hoffman declared that "ACORN, the unions and Democratic Party...tampered with the ballots of voters in NY-23." Jerry O. Eaton, Jefferson County Republican elections commissioner, called Hoffman's assertion "absolutely false". On November 19, the Gouverneur Times alleged that a computer virus had "tainted" results and "cast doubt on the accuracy of the counts retrieved from any of the machines." John Conklin, director of public information for the NY State Board of Elections, stated that "the article...unfortunately quoted a single word from a commissioner who mischaracterized the issue in question." Hoffman later retracted his accusations.
With the tallying of absentee-ballots near completion, on November 20, 2009, Owens' lead over Hoffman surpassed the total number of absentee ballots left, making it mathematically impossible for Hoffman to win. On November 24, Hoffman ended his campaign, stating "...it is with a heavy heart that we declare this election over. We will formally end this election and not ask for a recount." The final election results showed that Owens prevailed by a margin of 48.3% to 46%.
" and "a fight over the identity of the Republican Party", others saw "a victory for populist conservatism". One commentator stated that "Hoffman's third-party candidacy is striking for how much it has galvanized the Republican Party's base." According to one commentator, "[t]ea party conservatives see the GOP loss as a victory for conservativism over mere political party loyalty. They’re describing the defeat as a warning shot fired in defense of principle." According to Marilyn Musgrave
of Susan B. Anthony List
, "Republican party leaders in Washington should take the message of the campaign and the election seriously, that the Party base should not be taken for granted." Elected officials and observers opined that Scozzafava's showing in the congressional race had an impact on the New York State Senate's December 2, 2009 vote against same-sex marriage legislation.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
John M. McHugh
John M. McHugh
John Michael McHugh is the 21st United States Secretary of the Army and a former Republican politician from the state of New York, formerly representing the state's 23rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.On June 2, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated him to...
. McHugh was nominated to become United States Secretary of the Army
United States Secretary of the Army
The Secretary of the Army is a civilian official within the Department of Defense of the United States of America with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, installations, environmental issues, weapons systems and...
on June 2, 2009 and resigned as representative of New York's 23rd congressional district
New York's 23rd congressional district
The 23rd Congressional District of New York is New York's northernmost congressional district for the United States House of Representatives. The district includes all or parts of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties. It...
on September 21, 2009 after being confirmed by the Senate.
The Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and the Working Families Party
Working Families Party
The Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
nominated businessman
Businessperson
A businessperson is someone involved in a particular undertaking of activities for the purpose of generating revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business person...
and attorney Bill Owens, and the Conservative Party of New York
Conservative Party of New York
The Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years....
nominated businessman and accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
Doug Hoffman
Doug Hoffman
Douglas L. "Doug" Hoffman is an American businessman, accountant and former congressional candidate. He was the Conservative Party candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2009 special election for New York's 23rd congressional district. On November 3, 2009, he was defeated by...
. The Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and Independence Party
Independence Party of New York
The Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994...
nominated State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
member Dierdre Scozzafava
Dierdre Scozzafava
Dierdre R. "Dede" Scozzafava is an American Republican politician in New York. She represented District 122 in the New York State Assembly, which includes most of St. Lawrence and Lewis Counties in the North Country and a small portion of Oswego County from 1999 to 2011.She was the Republican...
, who withdrew from the race three days before the election and endorsed Owens. On Election Day, Owens defeated Hoffman.
The 2009 special election received significant national attention, and was alternately described as "a referendum on President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
" and "a fight over the identity of the Republican Party." The race was also noteworthy due to the Tea Party influence on its outcome, and for its impact on same-sex marriage legislation in New York.
Background
New York's 23rd congressional district has historically been one of the most Republican districts in the United States. The district's seat had been in Republican hands since 1873. The far northern portion of the district—including the largest city, Watertown—had not been represented by a Democrat since the 1850s. In parts of the district, the last non-Republican to represent the district had been a WhigWhig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
. McHugh was first elected in 1992, and was reelected eight times with over 60% of the vote, including running unopposed in 2002. Republicans also dominated most other levels of government as well; well into the 1990s most of the district's living residents had never been represented by a Democrat above the county level.
Although McHugh was consistently elected with over 60% of the vote, in recent years the district has been more competitive in United States presidential elections. George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
narrowly carried the district in both 2004
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
against John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
, 51%–47%. He also would have carried the district in 2000
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
against Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
under the current boundaries (49%–47%). However, Gore narrowly defeated Bush in what was then the 24th district in 2000, repeating Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's victory there in 1996
United States presidential election, 1996
The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee and the Republican national ticket of former Senator Bob Dole of Kansas for President and former Housing Secretary Jack...
. Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
defeated John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
in the district 52%–47% in 2008.
Democrats had also recently done well at the state level. In a 2008 special election for New York's 48th State Senate district (which is coextensive with the northwestern portion of the 23rd congressional district and includes Watertown), Democratic Assemblyman Darrel Aubertine
Darrel Aubertine
Darrel J. Aubertine was a member of the New York State Senate for the 48th district, which covers Central New York and the North Country region counties of Oswego, Jefferson and St. Lawrence in New York State. He is a registered Democrat and represented the district in the state Senate from...
defeated heavily favored Republican Assemblyman Will Barclay
William Barclay (politician)
William A. "Will" Barclay is a Republican member of the New York State Assembly representing the 124th Assembly District, which includes Oswego, New York and portions of Onondaga and Oswego counties....
. Aubertine became the first Democrat to represent what is now the 48th Senate district in over a century. The seat had been held by Republican James W. Wright
James W. Wright
James W. Wright is executive director of the Development Authority of the North Country. Previously he had been a member of the New York State Senate, representing the 48th district. This district includes Oswego and Jefferson counties, as well as part of St. Lawrence County.Prior to his election,...
for 18 years and by McHugh for seven years before that. Aubertine won a full term with 53 percent of the vote in November 2008.
On September 29, 2009, New York Governor
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
David Paterson
David Paterson
David Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
issued a proclamation setting the special election to fill the vacancy for November 3, 2009, to coincide with the 2009 general election. New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
law does not provide for a primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
in cases of a special election for a vacant House
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
seat. Instead, each party's nominee is chosen by that party's county leaders within the district.
Republican
Seven Republicans announced their intentions to run, including Paul Maroun, aide to State Senator Betty Little; Dierdre ScozzafavaDierdre Scozzafava
Dierdre R. "Dede" Scozzafava is an American Republican politician in New York. She represented District 122 in the New York State Assembly, which includes most of St. Lawrence and Lewis Counties in the North Country and a small portion of Oswego County from 1999 to 2011.She was the Republican...
, State Assemblywoman; Doug Hoffman
Doug Hoffman
Douglas L. "Doug" Hoffman is an American businessman, accountant and former congressional candidate. He was the Conservative Party candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2009 special election for New York's 23rd congressional district. On November 3, 2009, he was defeated by...
, businessman and accountant; Ronald Uva, obstetrician and gynecologist; Joshua Lynch, Waddington
Waddington (village), New York
Waddington is a village located in the Town of Waddington in St. Lawrence County, New York. The population was 923 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Joshua Waddington....
native; Matthew Doheny, investment portfolio
Portfolio (finance)
Portfolio is a financial term denoting a collection of investments held by an investment company, hedge fund, financial institution or individual.-Definition:The term portfolio refers to any collection of financial assets such as stocks, bonds and cash...
manager; and Gary Cooke, Essex County
Essex County, New York
Essex County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 39,370. Its name is from the English county of Essex. Its county seat is Elizabethtown...
veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
. Three other Republicans, Robert Taub, McHugh's chief of staff, State Senator
New York State Senate
The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...
Joseph Griffo
Joseph Griffo
Joseph A. “Joe” Griffo of Rome, New York is currently a New York State Senator representing the 47th district. The 47th district encompasses all of Lewis County, most of Oneida County, and St. Lawrence County.-Early life:...
, and State Assemblyman Will Barclay were considered potential candidates, but all declined to run.
Scozzafava was designated as the Republican nominee and Hoffman later received the nomination of the Conservative Party of New York
Conservative Party of New York
The Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years....
. On October 31, 2009, Scozzafava suspended her campaign and, on November 1, 2009, endorsed the Democratic candidate for the seat.
Democratic
State Senator Darrel Aubertine was the most widely rumored potential Democratic candidate, but he declined. State Senator David ValeskyDavid Valesky
David J. Valesky is a member of the New York State Senate and the Vice President Pro Tempore of the State Senate.He is a Democrat representing the mostly rural 49th Senate District, which encompasses the city of Rome in Oneida County, all of Madison County, eastern and southern Onondaga County,...
, who represents most of the southern portion of the congressional district, initially said he was interested in running, but later decided against it. It was reported that the Democratic party leaders hesitated to nominate either Valesky or Aubertine because the Democrats had a shaky two-seat majority in the State Senate. Aubertine and Valesky are two of only seven Democrats in the chamber from outside New York City. Also declining to run was assemblywoman Addie Jenne Russell
Addie Jenne Russell
Addie Jenne Russell is the New York State Democratic Assemblywoman for the 118th district, known as "The River District". One of five siblings, her family has lived in New York State's North Country for seven generations; her father was a mechanic. She was a member of the Jefferson County Board of...
, whose district includes Watertown.
Other potential candidates included Andrew Bisselle, director of the YMCA Camp Dudley, a Republican who said his views mirrored those of Blue Dog Democrats; Stuart Brody, former chairman of the Upstate Democratic Conference; Steve Burke, St. Lawrence County resident; Danny M. Francis, 1994 Democratic candidate; Robert J. Johnson, 2004 and 2006 candidate for the seat; Rudy Johnson, engineering consultant and retired United States Army veteran; Brian S. McGrath, Manhattan attorney, originally from Lowville; Mike Oot, 2008 Democratic candidate; David Ryan, Franklin County resident; and John T. Sullivan, Jr., former mayor of Oswego, New York
Oswego, New York
Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...
.
The chair of the New York Democratic Party stated that Scozzafava's husband had spoken with key local Democrats about the possibility of her switching to the Democratic Party before running for the seat.
The party eventually selected Bill Owens, a military veteran and attorney from Plattsburgh.
Conservative
Jim Kelly, a retired police officer and activist from Wilmington, Jon Alvarez, a military serviceman from Hannibal who is currently serving in Afghanistan, Salvatore Stassi, a police officer from Fulton, and Doug HoffmanDoug Hoffman
Douglas L. "Doug" Hoffman is an American businessman, accountant and former congressional candidate. He was the Conservative Party candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2009 special election for New York's 23rd congressional district. On November 3, 2009, he was defeated by...
, an accountant from Lake Placid
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
who had previously run for the Republican nomination, each made presentations to the Conservative Party of New York
Conservative Party of New York
The Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years....
in August. The committee chose Doug Hoffman after the three other potential candidates said they would support him, even though Hoffman did not live in the district.
Hoffman had previously sought the Republican nomination. In July, when Scozzafava was nominated instead, he offered to help her. His email to her read: "Hi Dede, Congratulations and the best of luck in your candidacy. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Doug." Shortly thereafter, however, he contacted Conservative Party leaders, seeking support for his own candidacy. Hoffman later stated, "I never promised that I would support Dede Scozzafava." One Republican leader said that Hoffman, while seeking the Republican nomination, had "repeatedly" pledged to support the nominee.
Other parties
The chairman of the Independence Party of New YorkIndependence Party of New York
The Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994...
announced that the party would have cross-endorsed Aubertine had he run, but with his decision not to run, the party instead backed Scozzafava. After she suspended her campaign, the state chairman of the party endorsed Bill Owens, though several local chairmen instead endorsed Hoffman. Scozzafava remained on the ballot on the Independence Party line (as well as the Republican line).
The Working Families Party
Working Families Party
The Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
backed Owens. Under New York's fusion
Electoral fusion
Electoral fusion is an arrangement where two or more political parties on a ballot list the same candidate, pooling the votes for that candidate...
rule, Owens's votes on the Democratic line and on the Working Families line were combined into a single total.
Campaign
The race drew significant national attention because of the relatively large amount of support for a third-party candidate from the national conservativeAmerican conservatism
Conservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s. Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and...
base. Fiscal and social conservative groups backed Hoffman's candidacy, including the Club for Growth
Club for Growth
The Club for Growth is a politically conservative 527 organization active in the United States of America, with an agenda focussed on taxation and other economic issues, and with an affiliated political action committee . The Club advocates lower taxes, limited government, less government spending,...
, the Susan B. Anthony List
Susan B. Anthony List
The Susan B. Anthony List, or simply SBA List, is a 501 non-profit, non-partisan organization that seeks to eliminate abortion in the U.S. by supporting pro-life politicians, primarily women, through its SBA List Candidate Fund political action committee...
, the National Organization for Marriage
National Organization for Marriage
The National Organization for Marriage is a nonprofit political association established in 2007 to work against legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States, specifically to pass California Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage in California...
, Concerned Women for America PAC, Citizens of the Republic, the American Conservative Union
American Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
, Eagle Forum
Eagle Forum
Eagle Forum is a conservative interest group in the United States founded by Phyllis Schlafly in 1972 and is the parent organization that also includes the Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund and the Eagle Forum PAC. The Eagle Forum has been primarily focused on social issues; it describes...
, and Family Research Council
Family Research Council
The Family Research Council is a conservative or right-wing Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983...
PAC. The Susan B. Anthony List embarked on a $100,000 independent expenditure
Independent expenditure
-Definition:In elections in the United States, an independent expenditure is a political campaign communication which expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate that is not made in cooperation, consultation or concert with or at the request or suggestion of a...
campaign for Hoffman. Many notable Republicans, including former Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
, Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty
Tim Pawlenty
Timothy James "Tim" Pawlenty , also known affectionately among supporters as T-Paw, is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota . He was a Republican candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election from May to August 2011...
of Minnesota and former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson, endorsed Hoffman rather than the Republican candidate because they deemed Scozzafava insufficiently conservative and ideologically indistinguishable from the Democrat. To illustrate this point, the Hoffman campaign ran television advertisements depicting Scozzafava and Owens as "two peas in a liberal pod." Hoffman indicated support for tax cuts, a pro-life stance on abortion, and support for an opposite-sex definition of marriage, as well as opposition to the Obama health reform proposal, card-check legislation, the Obama stimulus plan, and cap-and-trade legislation.
Scozzafava's record in the New York State Assembly included votes in favor of same-sex marriage, and she had also received an award from a Planned Parenthood affiliate in 2008. Scozzafava's political positions included support for "card check" legislation, support for federal funding for abortion, support for President Obama's 2009 stimulus package, and a refusal to rule out support for health care reform that includes a "public option." While Bill Owens did not favor public funding for abortion, he did support President Obama's 2009 stimulus package and "card check" legislation.
An October 1, 2009, poll by the Siena Research Institute
Siena Research Institute
Siena Research Institute is an affiliate of Siena College, located originally in Friars Hall and now in Hines Hall on the college's campus, in Loudonville, New York, in suburban Albany. It was founded in 1980....
put Hoffman in third place with 16% support, behind Scozzafava with 35% and Owens with 28%. However, polls taken a few days before the election showed Scozzafava's support collapsing; an October 31 poll showed Scozzafava trailing both Hoffman and Owens by 15% and 16% respectively.
Scozzafava suspended her campaign on October 31. In response to the Scozzafava withdrawal, the Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
(RNC), which had strongly backed Scozzafava’s candidacy, issued a statement applauding her decision and announcing it was now supporting Hoffman. National Democrats immediately began a "vigorous effort" to convince Scozzafava to endorse Owens. Politico
Politico (newspaper)
The Politico is an American political journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, that distributes its content via television, the Internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage of Washington, D.C., includes the U.S. Congress, lobbying, media and the Presidency...
reported that Scozzafava was contacted regarding a potential endorsement by Rep. Steve Israel
Steve Israel
Steve J. Israel is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is located on Long Island and includes the towns of Huntington, Babylon, Islip, and Smithtown in Suffolk County, part of the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, and the...
, New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver
Sheldon Silver
Sheldon "Shelly" Silver is an American lawyer and Democratic politician from New York. He has held the office of Speaker of the New York State Assembly since 1994.- Personal life :...
, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Mark Cuomo is the 56th and current Governor of New York, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 64th New York State Attorney General, and was the 11th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...
, and Sen. Chuck Schumer, who had been in touch with White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Chief of Staff
White House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Israel Emanuel is an American politician and the 55th and current Mayor of Chicago. He was formerly White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama...
, and former New York Democratic Party
New York State Democratic Committee
The New York State Democratic Committee runs the local branch of the United States Democratic Party in the state of New York. Its headquarters are in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and it has an office in Albany.-List of chairpersons:...
chair June O'Neill. On November 1, Scozzafava endorsed Democratic nominee Owens.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
, while having initially supported the GOP nominee, remarked that he was "deeply upset" about her endorsement of Owens after Scozzafava's withdrawal from the race. RNC Chairman Michael S. Steele
Michael S. Steele
Michael Stephen Steele is an American politician who served as the first African-American chairman of the Republican National Committee from January 2009 until January 2011. From 2003 to 2007, he was the seventh Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, the first African American elected to statewide...
questioned party leaders in upstate New York for using a committee process to select a congressional candidate. "Maybe you should have a primary the next time instead of having 11 guys in a room sit around and select your nominee," said Steele. The New York Republican Party
New York Republican State Committee
The New York Republican State Committee is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New York, headquartered in Albany.-History:...
issued a statement saying Scozzafava's endorsement was a "betrayal" of the party and said "In contacting Scozzafava, the Obama White House has once again played its Chicago-style politics here in New York."
Also on November 1, the "Democratic-leaning firm" Public Policy Polling
Public Policy Polling
Public Policy Polling is an American Democratic Party-affiliated polling firm based in Raleigh, North Carolina. PPP was founded in 2001 by businessman and Democratic pollster Dean Debnam, the firm's current president and chief executive officer...
(PPP) released poll results indicating "Hoffman...at 51% to 34% for Bill Owens and 13% for Dede Scozzafava in the poll conducted over the weekend." Noting that the poll was conducted during "somewhat of a tumultuous polling weekend, first with Scozzafava’s withdrawal on Saturday and then with her endorsement of Owens on Sunday", PPP nonetheless remarked that "Hoffman led Owens by 18 points in interviews before Scozzafava’s withdrawal, 19 points in between her withdrawal and the announcement of her endorsement, and by 14
points subsequent to her encouraging people to vote for Owens."
On November 2, one day before the election, Siena released the results of a new poll showing Hoffman leading Owens 41% to 36%. Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
appeared with Owens at a campaign rally in Watertown
Watertown (city), New York
Watertown is a city in the state of New York and the county seat of Jefferson County. It is situated approximately south of the Thousand Islands. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 27,023, an increase of 1.2% since 2000. The U.S...
on November 3, while former U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and 2008 presidential candidate
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
Fred Thompson appeared with Hoffman.
On Election Day
Election Day (United States)
Election Day in the United States is the day set by law for the general elections of public officials. It occurs on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The earliest possible date is November 2 and the latest possible date is November 8...
, police were called to at least two polling sites in St. Lawrence County
St. Lawrence County, New York
St. Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 111,944. The county seat is Canton. The county is named for the Saint Lawrence River, which in turn was named for the Catholic saint on whose Feast day the river was discovered by...
following "overzealous electioneering" by supporters of Hoffman. Later, Hoffman accused the Democratic Party of "bringing in ACORN
Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now was a collection of community-based organizations in the United States that advocated for low- and moderate-income families by working on neighborhood safety, voter registration, health care, affordable housing, and other social issues...
" and trying to "steal this election away from the 23rd district", asserting that a campaign volunteer's tires had been slashed. Anton Troianovski of The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
later quoted Captain Michael Branch of the Plattsburgh City Police Department as saying "This was not a tire slashing—this was some guy who drove over a bottle and cut his tire."
Polling
| Source | Date | Dierdre Scozzafava Dierdre Scozzafava Dierdre R. "Dede" Scozzafava is an American Republican politician in New York. She represented District 122 in the New York State Assembly, which includes most of St. Lawrence and Lewis Counties in the North Country and a small portion of Oswego County from 1999 to 2011.She was the Republican... |
Bill Owens | Doug Hoffman Doug Hoffman Douglas L. "Doug" Hoffman is an American businessman, accountant and former congressional candidate. He was the Conservative Party candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2009 special election for New York's 23rd congressional district. On November 3, 2009, he was defeated by... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siena Research Institute | November 2, 2009 | 6% | 36% | 41% |
| Public Policy Polling | November 1, 2009 | 13% | 34% | 51% |
| Siena Research Institute | October 26–28, 2009 | 20% | 36% | 35% |
| Research 2000 | October 26–28, 2009 | 21% | 33% | 32% |
| Neighborhood Research§ | October 25–26, 2009 | 14% | 29% | 34% |
| Basswood Research‡ | October 24–25, 2009 | 20% | 27% | 31% |
| Research 2000 | October 19–21, 2009 | 30% | 35% | 23% |
| Siena Research Institute | October 11–13, 2009 | 29% | 33% | 23% |
| Siena Research Institute | September 29, 2009 | 35% | 28% | 16% |
| Basswood Research‡ | September 17, 2009 | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| McLaughlin & Associates† | September 9, 2009 | 30% | 20% | 19% |
† Poll commissioned by Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman
‡ Poll commissioned by the Club for Growth, which endorses Doug Hoffman
§ Poll commissioned by the Minuteman PAC, which endorses Doug Hoffman
Dierdre Scozzafava
| No Known Change | Endorsed Owens | Endorsed Hoffman |
|---|---|---|
| Oswego County Oswego County, New York Oswego County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 Census, the estimated population was 122,109. The City of Oswego and the Village of Pulaski serve as the dual county seats in a two shire system of government... ATV Club |
New York State United Teachers New York State United Teachers New York State United Teachers is a 600,000-member New York state teachers union, affiliated since 2006 with the American Federation of Teachers , the AFL-CIO, and the National Education Association... |
House Minority Leader John Boehner John Boehner John Andrew Boehner is the 61st and current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he is the U.S. Representative from , serving since 1991... |
| The Wish List The Wish List (political organization) The Wish List is a political action committee devoted to electing pro-choice Republican women to the House of Representatives and Senate. The Wish List was founded in 1992. The acronym "WISH" stands for Women In the Senate and House. It can be considered a counterpart to another organization:... |
Watertown Daily Times | Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is... |
| State Senator New York State Senate The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve... Betty Little |
Former Speaker of the House Speaker of the United States House of Representatives The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives... Newt Gingrich Newt Gingrich Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999.... |
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| Assemblywomen New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652... Teresa Sayward Teresa Sayward Teresa R. Sayward is a member of the New York State Assembly for Willsboro , first elected in 2002. She is a Republican.-Career:... |
Representative Jeb Hensarling Jeb Hensarling Jeb Hensarling has been the Republican congressman representing Texas' 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2003.-Early life:... , former Republican Study Committee Republican Study Committee The Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives... Chair |
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| Assemblywoman Janet Duprey Janet Duprey Janet L. Duprey is a Republican member of the New York State Assembly, representing Assembly District 114, which includes all of Clinton and Franklin Counties, as well as the town of St. Armand in Essex County. She is originally from Plattsburgh.Duprey was first elected to the Assembly on November... |
New York State Young Republicans Young Republicans The Young Republicans is an organization for members of the Republican Party of the United States between the ages of 18 and 40. It has both a national organization and chapters in individual states.... |
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| Assemblyman Jim Tedisco, former Assembly Minority Leader | Assemblyman Will Barclay | |
| Assemblyman Robert Oaks Robert Oaks Robert C. "Bob" Oaks is a Republican member of the New York State Assembly, representing the 128th Assembly District, which includes all of Wayne County, the towns of Sterling, Victory, Ira, Conquest, Cato, Mentz and Brutus in Cayuga County and the towns of Hannibal, Minetto, and Oswego in Oswego... |
National Rifle Association National Rifle Association The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection... |
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| John Faso John Faso John Faso was the Republican nominee for Governor of New York in 2006, and was defeated by Democratic nominee Eliot Spitzer in the largest defeat for a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the state's history. This followed his loss to Alan Hevesi four years earlier in his run for State Comptroller... , former Assembly Minority Leader, 2002 comptroller candidate and 2006 gubernatorial candidate |
Assemblyman David Townsend David Townsend (politician) David Townsend is a member of the New York State Assembly, for the 115th district first elected in 1990. He is a Republican. Hedid not seek reelection in 2010, instead running for Oneida County Sheriff, a position he lost narrowly.-References:... |
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| Daily Kos Daily Kos Daily Kos is an American political blog that publishes news and opinions from a progressive point of view. It functions as a discussion forum and group blog for a variety of netroots activists, whose efforts are primarily directed toward influencing and strengthening the Democratic Party... founder, Markos Moulitsas |
Jeffrey Graham, mayor of Watertown | |
| US Senator Susan Collins Susan Collins Susan Margaret Collins is the junior United States Senator from Maine and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the Senate in 1996, she is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs... |
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| Representative Ginny Brown-Waite Ginny Brown-Waite Virginia "Ginny" Brown-Waite is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2003 until 2011. She is a member of the Republican Party.... |
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| Former Representative Tom Reynolds Thomas M. Reynolds Thomas M. Reynolds , commonly known as Tom Reynolds, is a politician from the U.S. state of New York, formerly representing the state's 26th Congressional district in the United States House of Representatives... , former chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee National Republican Congressional Committee The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives.... |
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| Representative Peter King Peter T. King Peter T. "Pete" King is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party. King's central Long Island district includes parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties.... |
Bill Owens
Doug Hoffman
Results
On Election DayElection Day (United States)
Election Day in the United States is the day set by law for the general elections of public officials. It occurs on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The earliest possible date is November 2 and the latest possible date is November 8...
, Owens appeared to defeat Hoffman, with the margin of defeat initially reported as 49.0% to 45.5%. Although Hoffman initially conceded, an initial re-canvass resulted in a Hoffman gain of approximately 2000 votes before military and absentee ballots were further factored in. Poll inspectors reported Mr. Hoffman had inadvertently received zero votes in four districts.
With absentee ballots having yet to be tallied, the results of the election could not be officially certified by the State of New York, though Owens was sworn in based upon unofficial results. Owens was seated in time to vote "yea" on the Affordable Health Care for America Act
Affordable Health Care for America Act
The Affordable Health Care for America Act was a bill that was crafted by the United States House of Representatives in November 2009. At the encouragement of the Obama administration, the 111th Congress devoted much of its time to enacting reform of the United States' health care system...
on November 7, 2009.
Hoffman withdrew his concession on November 17, 2009. On November 18, in a letter posted on his campaign website, Hoffman declared that "ACORN, the unions and Democratic Party...tampered with the ballots of voters in NY-23." Jerry O. Eaton, Jefferson County Republican elections commissioner, called Hoffman's assertion "absolutely false". On November 19, the Gouverneur Times alleged that a computer virus had "tainted" results and "cast doubt on the accuracy of the counts retrieved from any of the machines." John Conklin, director of public information for the NY State Board of Elections, stated that "the article...unfortunately quoted a single word from a commissioner who mischaracterized the issue in question." Hoffman later retracted his accusations.
With the tallying of absentee-ballots near completion, on November 20, 2009, Owens' lead over Hoffman surpassed the total number of absentee ballots left, making it mathematically impossible for Hoffman to win. On November 24, Hoffman ended his campaign, stating "...it is with a heavy heart that we declare this election over. We will formally end this election and not ask for a recount." The final election results showed that Owens prevailed by a margin of 48.3% to 46%.
Analysis
While some observers called the race "a referendum on President Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
" and "a fight over the identity of the Republican Party", others saw "a victory for populist conservatism". One commentator stated that "Hoffman's third-party candidacy is striking for how much it has galvanized the Republican Party's base." According to one commentator, "[t]ea party conservatives see the GOP loss as a victory for conservativism over mere political party loyalty. They’re describing the defeat as a warning shot fired in defense of principle." According to Marilyn Musgrave
Marilyn Musgrave
Marilyn Neoma Musgrave , American politician, is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives who served from 2003 to 2009, representing the 4th District of Colorado....
of Susan B. Anthony List
Susan B. Anthony List
The Susan B. Anthony List, or simply SBA List, is a 501 non-profit, non-partisan organization that seeks to eliminate abortion in the U.S. by supporting pro-life politicians, primarily women, through its SBA List Candidate Fund political action committee...
, "Republican party leaders in Washington should take the message of the campaign and the election seriously, that the Party base should not be taken for granted." Elected officials and observers opined that Scozzafava's showing in the congressional race had an impact on the New York State Senate's December 2, 2009 vote against same-sex marriage legislation.
External links
- Doug Hoffman's official campaign site
- Bill Owens's official campaign site
- Dede Scozzafava's official campaign site
- 2010 Race: New York District 23 campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.org
- 2009 New York CD-23 Special Election: Dede Scozzafava (R) vs Bill Owens (D) vs Doug Hoffman (C) chart of aggregated poll results from Pollster.com