Doheny to address Oswego County supporters in Fulton on Thursday.
Doug Hoffman is not ready to concede the Republican nomination in the 23rd Congressional District. Washington -- Matt Doheny emerged Wednesday as the likely winner of the Republican primary in the 23rd Congressional District, but neither he nor opponent Doug Hoffman declared the race over.
The election was too close to call when the polls closed Sept. 14, and narrowed late last week to a 582-vote lead for Doheny after three missing districts in Oneida County reported their totals.
Now after a full week of recanvassing and the tabulation of most absentee, military and affidavit ballots, Doheny appears to have added more than 100 votes to his lead, both campaigns said Wednesday.
Doheny stopped short of declaring victory on Wednesday, but his campaign said the absentee and military ballot count appeared to be in its favor.
“We're extremely happy about the results so far that show such support for Matt, and we will be going over the numbers,” said Alison Power, speaking for Doheny.
View full sizeRepublican candidate for Congress Matt Doheny appears at a Sept. 9 meeting in East Syracuse. He will be in Fulton on Thursday to speak to supporters and the media.Doheny plans to address Oswego County supporters and the media at 11:30 a.m. today in Fulton, where he could declare that he has won the Republican nomination.
Hoffman’s campaign saw no reason to concede the race Wednesday. “We’re not saying anything until tomorrow at the earliest,” said Rob Ryan, Hoffman’s spokesman. “We’re still missing some things, and we still want to go over some things.”
Ryan declined to elaborate, saying only that the campaign was not convinced that all absentee, military and affidavit ballots have been counted in some of the large counties.
Doheny added to his lead in Oswego (185 to 176) and Madison (102 to 96) counties after the absentee, affidavit and military ballots were counted, according to unofficial results.
John Conklin, a spokesman for the state Board of Elections in Albany, said the state has until Sept. 27 to certify the ballot. But he said counties were asked to voluntarily provide their results by Friday.
If Hoffman loses the Republican nomination, he will still be on the ballot as the Conservative Party nominee. Hoffman has given no indication that he would endorse Doheny.
Such a scenario would set up a second consecutive three-way race in the 23rd District for the seat now occupied by U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh.
Hoffman ran on the Conservative line in a special election last year after he lost the GOP nomination to Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, R-Gouverneur. She dropped out of the race on the weekend before Election Day and endorsed Owens, the Democrat.
Contact Washington correspondent Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com or 571-970-3751.