Limbaugh 'Handpicked' Hoffman: Biden

Win follows GOP moderate, conservative split

(NEWSER) - Retired Air Force Capt. Bill Owens has pulled off a major upset for the Democratic Party and won the closely watched election in New York state's 23rd congressional district. Owens was ahead of Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman 49% to 45% with 92% of precincts reporting, according to AP . Moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava received 6% of the vote despite withdrawing from the race over the weekend under pressure from the party's right wing. More»

Hoffman calls Scozzafava a 'turncoat'

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin-backed conservative upstart Doug Hoffman called Dede Scozzafava a “turncoat” after the New York Republican state assemblywoman endorsed Hoffman’s Democratic opponent, Bill Owens. Scozzafava issued her surprise endorsement a day after pulling out of the upstate congressional race. With prominent conservatives backing Hoffman, an independent, Scozzafava had been running a distant third in the polls. “This afternoon Dede Scozzafava betrayed the GOP,” a spokesman for Hoffman said in a statement. More»

Hoffman looks to pick up Scozzafava's supporters

(NEWSER) - With late polls inconclusive, Josh Kraushaar of Politico runs down five things to watch in the NY-23 congressional race as returns filter in:

• Dede Scozzafava's supporters: The big question is whether independent-minded GOP voters will go to her endorsed candidate, Democrat Bill Owens, or Conservative Doug Hoffman. Results from her stronghold of Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties will tell the tale.
• Syracuse region: This is neutral turf, and Hoffman needs "a decisive victory" here if he hopes to win.

Conservative gets a boost, but maybe not a very big one

(NEWSER) - Republican Dede Scozzafava's surprise decision to suspend her congressional race in New York leaves Conservative Doug Hoffman to battle Democrat Dan Owens. Here's what the political blogosphere is saying:

• Nate Silver , FiveThirtyEight: "Gun to my head? Sure, I'd take Hoffman at this point." But it's not that cut and dried: Most conservative Republicans had already defected to Hoffman, so the gain may not be that big.

Race for NY House seat turns into battle for soul of the right

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin has bucked the GOP to endorse a third-party challenger in a closely-watched House special election. In the race for the upstate New York seat, Palin has joined Fred Thompson and Dick Armey in endorsing the candidate for the Conservative Party, Doug Hoffman, over a Republican nominee, Dede Scozzafava, who is pro-choice and supports gay rights. "There is no real difference between the Democrat and the Republican in this race," the former governor wrote on her Facebook page. More»