A surge in campaign contributions has helped U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, and Republican Matt Doheny gain momentum heading into the fall campaign for the 23rd Congressional District. The third candidate, Republican-Conservative Doug Hoffman, has fallen behind as he tries to ignite his campaign with less than half the cash available to his opponents, according to new federal campaign disclosure...
A surge in campaign contributions has helped U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, and Republican Matt Doheny gain momentum heading into the fall campaign for the 23rd Congressional District.
The third candidate, Republican-Conservative Doug Hoffman, has fallen behind as he tries to ignite his campaign with less than half the cash available to his opponents, according to new federal campaign disclosure reports.
The Federal Election Commission reports show Hoffman with $213,245 cash on hand, compared to $691,474 for Doheny and $568,928 for Owens, as of June 30.
As a result, Doheny has been able to buy radio and television ads throughout the 11-county district, which includes all of Oswego and Madison counties and a portion of Oneida County.
The ads began in early June and will run in the Syracuse, Watertown and Plattsburgh media markets until Sept. 14 — the date of the Republican primary between Doheny and Hoffman. Hoffman has not purchased any advertising, and instead has been relying on a grassroots campaign.
The 60-year-old accountant from Saranac Lake has the benefit of name recognition: He ran on the Conservative Party line and lost a special election to Owens in November. The race attracted national attention and contributions from national conservative groups.
Doheny, 40, an investment banker from Watertown, is trying to make up for the lack of name recognition with his ad campaign and by taking his message to the voters. On Monday, for example, he was in Boonville for the opening of the Oneida County Fair. Today, Doheny will be in Madison County touring the landfill in Canastota, attending the city of Oneida Rotary luncheon and looking at windmills in Cazenovia.
“People realize I’m the person on the Republican side who can actually win this seat back and put it where it has been for over a century,” Doheny said in an interview.
He said his ability to articulate policies as a fiscal conservative with business experience has resonated with voters. He said that’s one reason why contributors have flocked to his campaign.
“You’ve got to go out and compete for fundraising dollars,” Doheny said. “Fortunately, we’ve been successful so far. Nobody wants to back and contribute to the loser, so it’s certainly an affirmation for our campaign.”
Doheny has raised $515,606 for the fall campaign, almost all of it in individual contributions, and he has loaned his campaign $250,000 of his personal money.
In comparison, Hoffman has raised about $130,000 from individuals and loaned his campaign $349,900 of his personal money.
The end result is that Doheny has been able to spread his message early. “This allows us to be on TV early and to get my name out there,” Doheny said. His message: “I’m a guy that’s not part of the problem. I have never run for office before. I will bring enthusiasm and hard work to the job.”
Doheny is also touting his conservative credentials — keeping his distance from the moderate or liberal positions taken by Republican Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, who dropped out of the special election and endorsed Owens last year.
Doheny said he believes in the death penalty, is a member of the National Rifle Association and opposes legalizing same-sex marriage. He said he supports abortion rights, but opposes government funding of abortions and partial-birth abortions.
Hoffman, 60, insists he still has strong support in the district, and has not lost any of his momentum from last fall. His campaign released its own poll last week of 300 likely Republican primary voters, showing Hoffman leading Doheny by 32 points, 52 percent to 20 percent.
Rob Ryan, speaking for Hoffman, said the campaign is not worried about its financial disadvantage heading into the primary. He added, “Doug Hoffman will have the resources needed to win the Republican primary. And he is the only candidate who can unite the Republican and Conservative parties and defeat Bill Owens in November.”
Ryan said the campaign will make a point that Doheny — not Hoffman — was endorsed by nine of the 11 county Republican committees in the district. “The message is that Doheny has been hand-picked by the political bosses,” Ryan said. “He’s just a Dede Scozzafava retread.”
No matter what happens in the Republican primary, it’s likely that the 23rd District race will once again have three candidates on the ballot.
Doheny has already received the Independence Party endorsement. Hoffman has received the backing of New York State Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long. Owens, 61, will run on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines.
Clay Schroers, campaign manager for Owens, said the campaign has a policy against discussing its strategy. “We are excited by the support we have received from Democrats, Republicans and independents across the region, and will continue to work across party lines to get things done for the region,” Schroers said.
He added, “We firmly believe we will have the resources we need to communicate those facts to voters this fall.”
Contact Washington correspondent Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com or 571-970-3751.