Republican Matt Doheny will join Tea Party leaders for lunch Wednesday.
Granby Supervisor Ed Williamson (left) meets Doug Hoffman, Conservative candidate for 23rd congressional district, at Granby Town Hall in Oswego County earlier this month. Hoffman may lose support from the Upstate New York Tea Party. Washington -- The Upstate New York Tea Party, which backed Doug Hoffman through both of his campaigns for Congress, is ready to give up on its one-time darling candidate.
The group has invited Republican nominee Matt Doheny to join its steering committee and volunteers for an "informal luncheon" Wednesday in Plattsburgh.
UNYTEA Chairman Mark Barie said today he will make a "newsworthy" announcement after the luncheon.
At the end of last week, the 1,000-member group leaned toward supporting Doheny in his bid for the 23rd Congressional District seat.
Hoffman conceded the GOP primary Thursday to Doheny but said he would stay in the race and campaign as the Conservative Party nominee in a three-way race with U.S. Rep. Bill Owens.
Tea Party organizers, upset with what they view as a lack of organization in Hoffman's campaign, surveyed members to see whom they want to support. The 200 respondents are almost evenly spilt. But phone calls and e-mails to UNYTEA are running 10-to-1 in favor of Doheny, Barie said Friday.
As for Barie, he has already decided to support Doheny.
"Doug Hoffman doesn't have an ice cube's chance in hell of winning this election," Barie wrote Friday in a blunt note to supporters. "A vote for him is a vote for Bill Owens."
Hoffman had no immediate response.
Contact Washington correspondent Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com or 571-970-3751.