NY 23 Election Results
NY 23 Election Results, Democrat Bill Owens held a slight advantage in a congressional special election in northern New York that gained national headlines during his last days as it highlighted divisions in the Republican Party.
NY 23 Election Results
With nearly 86 percent of precincts reporting in the heavily Republican 23rd House District, Owens led Tuesday with 49 percent of the vote over surprise contender Doug Hoffman, a member of the state Conservative Party, which had 45 per percent.
Republican Dierdre Scozzafava, who retired from the race on Saturday, still picked up the 6 percent of the vote.
Scozzafava abruptly quit the race this weekend and supported Owens after some prominent Republicans accused of being too liberal for the district for their support of abortion rights and same-sex marriage.
The race started about five weeks, with three candidates and ends with two – Hoffman and Owens, who seeks to exploit a division of Republican loyalties and regain a place for decades by the Republican Party.
Hoffman began in a distant third and was seen as a spoiler at best cut Scozzafava and opening the door for Owens. But prominent Republicans, including former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Hoffman approved instead of the party-picked Scozzafava.
With elections for governor of New Jersey and Virginia, this race was not expected to become a referendum on anything, but infighting among Republicans and attempts to portray Democrats as a sign that it could keep its majority in 2010 midterms, the special election on Tuesday gained importance not foreseen.
Hoffman A victory could force the Republicans in Washington to pay more attention to their votes and positions on issues, rather than relying on the label of the Republicans to get elected.
“The reality is that the base is not going to walk the same pace of these decisions and that is a reality (the party is) going to be faced,” said Tony Fabrizio, a Washington-based Republican pollster and strategist.
Owens A victory could signal a renewed strength among Democrats, or at least soothe Republicans’ perceived weakness. It is a position which has been strongly Republican for decades and is one of only three in the delegation of the State 29 -seat held by the party. Rep. John McHugh vacated the post in September to become secretary of the Army.
“They are in a civil war over the definition of their game,” said Paul Blank, a Democratic consultant. “And the extremists have won.”
No matter the outcome, Republicans are sorting out their identity as part of attempts to strike a balance between the growth of their ranks and the preservation of the values that distinguish the Democratic Party.
“I think the Republican Party is broad enough to handle many different candidates, but the fact is I am a conservative Republican from common sense – I’m not a radical,” Hoffman said Monday. “The point is that Assemblywoman Scozzafava was a moderate Republican, was an ultra-liberal Republican.”