| The 23rd congressional district special election battle is starting to become clear, although the Democrats still have not nominated a candidate and won't for at least another few days.
But the Conservative Party decided that the Republican nominee wasn't conservative enough to be their nominee.
The Conservative Party will nominate Doug Hoffman for their ballot line, meaning that the Conservative Party won't back the Republican candidate - Dede Scozzafava - in this important special election.
Scozzafava, of course, is widely known to be pro-choice and pro-marriage equality. Those progressive views on two key social issues put her at odds with the Conservative Party philosophy, which has been said to revolve around such social issues.
From News 10 Now:
He was virtually unknown. Just one of several republicans who hoped to replace John McHugh in the 23rd Congressional District. But he was passed over when the republicans made their choice official, Dede Scozzafava.
Now, Lake Placid businessman Doug Hoffman is getting a second chance in the most unlikely of circumstances, as a conservative. The state Conservative Party will likely choose him for its line, normally given to the republican choice, because Scozzafava is not what they say conservatives represent.
"Her record is atrocious. In our rating system last year, she got a 15 out of 100. Shelly Silver got a 10," said Conservative Party Chair Mike Long.
The choice has left some republicans upset with Hoffman, whom some say broke a promise by not supporting Scozzafava.
"I never promised I would support Dede Scozzafava. I did indicate I'd be happy to support a conservative republican candidate. I did not walk away from the Republican Party. The Republican Party walked away from the values that made our party strong," Hoffman said.
"He's not just a candidate we're putting up to protest the vote. He's a candidate that I believe represents and embraces the views of a majority of people in that Congressional District," Long said.
"There's enough people that are very dismayed as to the choices they're going to have between a liberal Nancy Pelosi Democrat and a liberal, big spending, career Albany politician," Hoffman said.
Hoffman might be able to steal conservative votes away from Scozzafava, which isn't something to take lightly. The 23rd district is very rural and the district has more elected Republicans than Democrats. This district is a conservative one, so Scozzafava isn't going to have an easy time running a campaign on two issues that Republicans are usually strongly against. |
