Doug Hoffman | The New York Observer

Doug Hoffman, Effusive as Ever

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:10:51 -0500

ALBANY—He ran for Congress as an outsider, the non-politician who was fed up with the course of government. It shouldn't be too surprising that he's never been to the State Capitol.

I found Doug Hoffman gawking at the chamber's ornate ceiling, indulging what he monotonically insisted is a deep passion for architecture, chatting with his wife Carol and the Rev. Jason McGuire, the lobbyist here who opposes same-sex marriage on behalf of a group...

Owens, Now, Comes Out for the Health Care Bill

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:16:26 -0500

ALBANY—Bill Owens, who is being sworn in as a member of Congress today, has announced his intention to vote for the health care restructuring bill backed by Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama. He resisted taking a specific position on the issue throughout his campaign.

Owens announced the vote in a press release and suggested as much in Watertown yesterday. He just concluded a special election campaign against Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava and Doug Hoffman,...

Cox: Westchester Was Huge, Dede Could Have Won

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:15:26 -0500

ALBANY—Ed Cox is all about Westchester County, and Rob Astorino's upset ouster of County Executive Andy Spano.

"If we can win Westchester, that is almost as big a win as the wins which I expected to happen, and which did happen, in New Jersey and Virginia," Cox told me during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon, noting the suburban county has a two-to-one Democratic enrollment advantage.

"That win by Rob Astorino was a huge...

Labor Brags About the Owens Win

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:47:57 -0500

SARANAC LAKE—It did come down to a battle of the boots here in the 23rd Congressional district, and the unions which aligned by Bill Owens at the last minute are touting their victory.

"The late labor candidate won," said Ron McDougall, the president of the Jefferson-Lewis-St. Lawrence Central Labor Council (and the husband of Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava) told me. "Certainly there was an intensified effort in the end. There were some leaders that hardly...

How Bill Owens Spoiled a Republican Narrative

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:28:17 -0500

So there we were somewhere around 10 o'clock on Election Night, watching as county after county reported devastating news for Jon Corzine.

New Jersey's governor—for whom Barack Obama made two splashy campaign appearances in the home stretch—was going down, the first Democrat to lose a statewide race there in 12 years, and only the second in 37 years to lose one by more than a point. And the national Republican Party was ready...

Democrats, Local and National, Thank Dede and Take Credit for Owens

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:23:36 -0500

SARANAC LAKE—It wasn't the political right, but rather the Democrats who sent a message in Bill Owens' successful bid to replace John McHugh in Congress.

"Tonight with the entire country watching, Upstate New Yorkers sent a message," Owens said at his victory party in Plattsburgh. "We came together tonight as Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to seek solutions--to create jobs for our workers, to bring economic development back to our communities, to fight for Fort...

Hoffman, And His Movement, Sputter Out

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:18:15 -0500

SARANAC LAKE—Doug Hoffman and his supporters gathered here to proclaim a great victory, the first peak in a populist right-wing movement that would sweep the ruling class out of office starting with a win in this Congressional district. Instead, they came up short, settling with a campaign that asserted conservative dominance over the moderate wing of the Republican Party, even if it couldn't stand up to the Republican agenda.

"This is a race that...

Hoffman, And His Movement, Sputter Out

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:18:15 -0500

"This is a race...

'It Looks Like It's Over' for Hoffman in NY-23

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:21:42 -0500

SARANAC LAKE—It looks like Doug Hoffman came up short in his bid for Congress.

With a majority of precincts reporting, the Democratic Party's Bill Owens maintained a lead of over 3,000 votes.

"It looks like it's over. Democrats were able to deliver St. Lawrence big. Jefferson County was considered the bellwether and it went for Owens, and the strong counties for Hoffman weren't all that strong: Oswego, Madison and Oneida," said Mayor Jeff Graham,...

NY-23: Recount? Probably

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:27:10 -0500

SARANAC LAKE—A Democratic lawyer who has obtained a court order impounding all paper ballot results said he doesn't expect a final result tonight.

"What's significant in terms of tonight, by our count, there are going to be about 14,000 pieces of paper out there tonight, be they military, absentee, federal special or any ballots generated at the boards will be maintained at the boards and secured," Frank Hoare just told me by phone. "It's...

June O'Neill: It's Not a Referendum, It's Just a Seat the G.O.P. Bought

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:26:27 -0500

SARANAC LAKE—June O'Neill, the Executive Committee chair of the state Democratic Party, says that the race to replace John McHugh in Congress is not a public verduct on Barack Obama's administration.

"No, it's not a referendum on Obama," she told me Tuesday afternoon. "It wasn't a referendum on Obama in New York 20 and it's not here. If you are the Republican Party and you are running inferior candidates as they do, I would...

NY-23: 'Not Tremendous' Turnout, Slashed Tires, Police

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:04:42 -0500

PLATTSBURGH—Both sides in the race to replace John McHugh in Congress are working the polling places, and not without some friction.

Sean Hennessey, the Jefferson County Democratic chairman and elections commissioner said he was making the rounds to polling places and described the turnout as "not tremendous, but relatively high for an off-year election."

He said there were some "hiccups" with optical scan voting machines his county just implemented, but that "every voter is...

Kasprzak: There Will Be Challenges

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:47:21 -0500

PLATTSBURGH—Mayor Don Kasprzak was one of the first Republican officials to openly endorse Doug Hoffman over Dede Scozzafava (before her candidacy collapsed) in his bid for Congress, and is warning there might be "challenges" for other Republicans who were late to, or have not yet arrived at, the party.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure there's going to be some challenges for those people to deal with after this election, and I've got some ideas, but...

Hoffman's Neighbor Is for Socialized Medicine and School Prayer and (Tepidly) Hoffman

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:03:28 -0500

PLATTSBURGH—The first thing Roger Metzger asked me was whether I liked almonds. The second was whether I was working for Doug Hoffman.

Metzger's café--Quiche et Crepe--is located next to Hoffman's field office in this lakeside city, and he's seen an uptick in business from the volunteers. A needed one, he says, since the closure of two suppliers to subway car manufacturer Bombardier closed, cutting into his lunch crowd.

I asked Metzger who he was...

D for Doug

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:44:29 -0500

PLATTSBURGH—Look down!

Doug Hoffman's supporters are giving out these flyers, pointing to his name on Row "D" of the ballot. We're about to find out, circumstantially, just how much of a disadvantage this location is for Hoffman--most voters are used to voting for either a Republican or a Democrat--considering Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava remains on the ballot in Row B.

Conservatives would love, of course, to take back Row...