Hoffman's decision sets up three-way race for seat of U.S. Rep. Bill Owens.
Granby Supervisor Ed Williamson (left) meets Doug Hoffman, the Conservative candidate in the 23rd Congressional District, earlier this month at Granby Town Hall in Oswego County. Washington -- Tea Party favorite Doug Hoffman will formally concede today to Matt Doheny in the tightly-contested Republican primary for the 23rd Congressional District seat, according to a source close to Hoffman's campaign.
Hoffman plans to stay in the race on the Conservative Party line for the November election, the source said, ignoring calls from Republican leaders to step aside.
An announcement of Hoffman's plans is expected later today.
(UPDATE: This afternoon, Hoffman conceded the race for the Republican nomination. But Hoffman said he will actively campaign as the Conservative Party nominee, keeping his word to all those who believe in conservative principles.
"Over the course of this week it has become obvious that Matt Doheny has achieved victory in the Sept. 14th GOP pimary," Hoffman said in a statement. "It was not an easy victory for Mr. Doheny; he outspent my campaign by a 12-1 margin and had the backing of all 11 of the GOP bosses and yet only out-polled me by a few hundred votes.
"Over the past few days I have thought long and hard about the next six weeks. I have spoken with family, friends, supporters and staff as I have weighed my next step. So today, with new resolve and a strong commitment to conservative principles, I rededicate myself to this race and announce that I will actively campaign for Congress as the nominee of the Conservative Party." )
Doheny traveled to Oswego County at 11:30 a.m., where he declared victory at Republican headquarters in Fulton. Doheny leads by more than 600 votes with most absentee and military ballots now counted.
Hoffman's decision sets up a second consecutive three-way race for the 23rd District seat. U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, defeated Hoffman and Republican Dede Scozzafava in a special election in November.
The seat opened last year when former Rep. John McHugh, a Republican from Jefferson County, was appointed secretary of the Army by President Obama.
Matt Doheny greets supporters today at the Oswego County Republican headquarters in Fulton before declaring victory over Doug Hoffman in the GOP 23rd Congressional District primary.State Assemblyman Will Barclay, R-Pulaski, said today that Hoffman should endorse Doheny for the good of both the Republican and Conservative Party.
“The time has come for Doug Hoffman and his supporters to realize that to advance the conservative Republican principles we hold, we need to do all that we can to help Matt Doheny in this fall’s election campaign,” Barclay said.
Barclay himself dropped early plans to run for the GOP nomination for the seat.
“And it is not enough to just say that we support Matt,” Barclay said. “We need to actively campaign for his election.”
Contact Washington correspondent Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com or 571-970-3751.