by FNC Reporter Molly Line
Voters in upstate New York hit the polls today in the wake of whirlwind developments shaking up the race for the 23rd Congressional district’s open seat.
Two very different candidates are left standing in this battle- Democrat Bill Owens and the Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman.
Republican Dede Scozzafava pulled out and the repercussions are still echoing.
Democrat Bill Owens picked up her endorsement and garnered last minute backing from organized labor- a vote was split before Scozzafava, who’s husband is a union leader, pulled from the contest.
Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate, has grassroots support that helped him climb up in the polls.
Hoffman is a pro-life fiscal conservative who promises to cut taxes and reduce government spending. His campaign has the backing of Tea Party activists and prominent conservatives, like Fred Thompson and Sarah Palin.
The Republican National Committee first endorsed Scozzafava but, were quick to throw their backing to Hoffman when she left the race- the RNC and the National Republican Congressional Committee have made 140,000 calls on Hoffman’s behalf since Sunday.
Hitting the polls early this morning, Owens says voters have a clear choice.
“We can go backward to the Bush agenda which includes tax cuts for the very wealthy, privatization of social security and tax credits for companies that send jobs overseas, the recession, a 4.9 trillion dollar addition to the deficit, or they can move forward with us,” Owens said.
Doug Hoffman says he’s fighting for the heart and soul of the Republican Party, backed by grassroots support.
Republican Scozzafava freed her supporters but, it’s unclear where her votes will go now.
As a pro-choice, pro-gay marriage candidate with moderate views on tax issues she appealed to some Democrats and Independent voters who could peal away towards the Owens camp, however, the majority of her voters identified with the GOP and their support could benefit Hoffman who now has the backing of national party leaders.
The unusual battle has sparked much debate over whether the results are evidence of a rift in the GOP or just a anomaly resulting from unique circumstances that allowed local republican leaders to hand-pick a nominee, rather than voters.
House Minority Leader John Boehner weighed in today saying political rebellion among conservatives is bigger than most people imagine.
“They don’t have a primary in New York. If they had a primary this would have been resolved weeks ago but, what has happened over the last two or three weeks, basically has been the republican primary,” Boehner said.