Hoffman urges GOP to change mind

Douglas L. Hoffman has asked the Republican Party to toss its congressional candidate and choose him instead.

"I'm going to win this election even if they don't change their mind," the front-runner for the Conservative Party nomination said during a Wednesday stop in Watertown. "This will be a race between two liberals and a conservative Republican who wants to bring common-sense solutions to Congress. I believe voters will choose the common-sense candidate."

Republicans chose Assemblywoman Dierdre K. Scozzafava, Gouverneur, as their candidate over Mr. Hoffman and eight others.

In a July 29 letter, Mr. Hoffman, a Lake Placid accountant, reminded the 23rd Congressional District's 11 GOP chairpersons they still had time to change their minds before Rep. John M. McHugh resigned to become Army secretary. Conservative leaders encouraged him to make the appeal.

James T. Ellis, the state Republican Party's regional vice chairman for nine of the 11 counties in the 23rd District, was asked Wednesday what the chances were that the GOP would not designate Ms. Scozzafava as its candidate.

"Zero to none," he replied.

Mr. Hoffman, 59, is a near certain lock for the Conservative Party nomination, however, making Friday's caucus of party county chairpersons more of a perfunctory event.

"Based on my conversations with my various county leaders and regional vice chairmen, the indications are that they're going to want to go with him," said Michael Long, state Conservative Party chairman. "I don't think I've been this excited about a congressional race in New York since Jim Buckley won in 1970. I believe we're going to have that type of opportunity here."

Underdog Conservative Party candidate James L. Buckley won a three-way race for U.S. Senate in 1970.

Mr. Hoffman is certainly acting like the nominee already. He's even created a narrative about the four women in his life — his wife, Carol, mom, Rita, daughter, Ashleah Mayberry, and aunt Shirley W. Seney — who inspired him to run for Congress.

He drew parallels between his own long-shot candidacy and that of his aunt.

"She was a secretary to a doctor in town who was bold enough to go out and run for the mayor of Lake Placid," he said. "People thought it was a joke. They didn't think she had any chance in the world to make it. But not only did she make it, she did a fantastic job and really represented the voters of Lake Placid."

Mr. Hoffman's race will take far more money and organization to win than his aunt's run did. The candidate again Wednesday refused to say how much money he's raised for a race he said will take $1 million or more to win. He's also refusing to say who has joined his campaign team, although former Gov. George E. Pataki's campaign manager, Rob Ryan, is on board.

Mr. Ryan also served on Randy Daniels's campaign for the GOP's gubernatorial nomination in 2006 and John Spencer's failed U.S. Senate bid in 2006.

To win, Mr. Hoffman will have to reach far beyond the district's Conservative base. There are 5,561 registered Conservatives in the 11-county district. The party is organized in just six of the 11 counties, according to its own Web site.

Mr. Hoffman acknowledged his continued bid has rankled some Republicans. He said Wednesday, "I never promised that I would support Dede Scozzafava."

"I did indicate that I would be happy to support a conservative Republican candidate, especially if it wasn't me," he said. "It never occurred to me that the party would pick the only liberal in the race."

Mr. Ellis said the nine hopefuls seeking the Republican nomination were asked as a group if they would support whichever candidate emerged as the nominee. He did not recall Mr. Hoffman being questioned individually.

"They were free to opt out of that understanding," the state party vice chairman said. "As far as I know, there was nobody who did."

Democrats have not yet picked their candidate, but will do so Monday. The parties are anticipating a special election this fall to replace U.S. Rep. John M. McHugh, R-Pierrepont Manor. Mr. McHugh's nomination as Army secretary was approved Tuesday by the U.S. Senate's Armed Services Committee. A full Senate vote is expected today.

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Doug Hoffman's campaign

www.doughoffmanfor

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