Since Doug
Hoffman’s electrifying campaign in last
fall’s wild three-way special election in upstate New
York (see “Battle
Cry in the North Country”), other candidates have thrown
their hats in the ring for the GOP nomination for the
seat now held by Democrat Rep. Bill Owens. Among those
candidates is Matt
Doheny.
Jude Seymour of the Watertown (N.Y.) Daily Times
reports that Conservative Party chairman Mike Long says he’s
committed to supporting Hoffman this fall and that Doheny
missed his chance last year:
Michael R. Long, state Conservative Party chairman, said he
asked Mr. Doheny’s “handlers” to tell the hopeful that if
he had interest in running against moderate Republican Dierdre
K. Scozzafava in the 23rd Congressional District last fall, the
third party would support his candidacy.
“The answer I got was: ‘No, he doesn’t want to alienate the
Republican Party,’” the chairman recalled Wednesday. “He was in
the mix as one of the guys I would have supported against Dede
Scozzafava. He chose to play the inside baseball game.”
Mr. Hoffman, a Lake Placid accountant, took the party’s offer
instead, using the line to push a social and fiscally
conservative platform that received considerable support during
the special election. He finished a close second to Rep.
William L. Owens, D-Plattsburgh, with Ms. Scozzafava far
behind.
“Matt Doheny failed at that defining moment,” the
chairman said.
Mr. Hoffman, he added, showed “courage” and “earned” the
party’s endorsement and line again in this year’s race. Mr.
Doheny, Watertown, and Mr. Hoffman will face each other in a
Republican primary. If Mr. Doheny prevails, there
will again be a three-way race… .
Mr. Long’s specific objection was that Mr. Doheny
had donated $2,400 - the maximum allowed by law - to Ms.
Scozzafava on Oct. 10… .
Scozzafava notoriously
quit the race the weekend before Election Day and
endorsed the Democrat, Owens. She has since declared
she
will not seek re-election to the state assembly. But
that’s history, whereas the possibility of another three-way
election is present-tense.
To grasp the problem now facing the GOP in
NY-23 requires an understanding of New York’s multi-party
system. In addition to the Democratic and Republican parties,
several other minor parties have ballot lines, and for a
major-party candidate to pick up the endorsement of a minor
party can be crucial in a close election. Last year in NY-23, for
example, there were
five parties on the ballot: Owens was on two lines (Democrat
and Working Families parties), Scozzafava was on two
lines (Republican and Independence) and Hoffman was on the
Conservative line. If Hoffman wins the GOP nomination, he’ll be
on at least two lines, and could win the Independence
Party endorsement, as well.
Mike Long has made the argument that no Republican can win NY-23
without the Conservative Party’s endorsement, and he is
adamant that the endorsement will go to Doug
Hoffman this fall. So the question now is: Does the
New York GOP wish to repeat last year’s disastrous
attempt to prove Mike Long wrong?
