Imagine A Great Election 2009: New York’s 23rd District
November 2, 2009
The impact of party pressures led to a last-minute decision by a Republican candidate in upstate New York to drop out of a special election for an open seat in the U.S. Congress—and throw her support behind the Democratic contender in the race.
A Republican criticized within her own party for holding questionable views on certain social issues, Dede Scozzafava had been endorsed by powerful Republican leaders such as party national chairman Michael Steele and former House speaker Newt Gingrich. But even those endorsements failed to save her campaign.
The remaining candidates in the race are Democrat Bill Owens and Conservative Doug Hoffman. Hoffman has received local and national Republican attention from those troubled by Scossafava’s support of gay rights and abortion rights. According to a poll published today by the Siena Research Institute of Siena College, Hoffman’s lead over Owens has widened to five percentage points, with the number of undecided voters in the district doubling since Scossafava’s weekend announcement.
While President Barack Obama attended a fundraiser for candidate Bill Owens last month, Vice President Joe Biden is attending a rally in support of Owens today.