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Owens wins 23rd Congressional District
Democrat defeats Conservative in topsy-turvy race
PLATTSBURGH — Plattsburgh attorney William Owens captured the 23rd Congressional District seat, giving Democrats a victory in the district for the first time since 1852.
Owens won largely by exploiting a battle between moderates and conservatives for control of the GOP.
With 88 percent of the precincts reporting early Wednesday, Owens, the former Air Force captain, defeated Lake Placid businessman Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate, 49 percent to 46 percent.
Dierdre Scozzafava, a moderate Republican, withdrew from the race Saturday under pressure from the party's right wing because of her support of abortion rights and same-sex marriage. She still picked up 5 percent of the vote.
Hoffman conceded the race late Tuesday before supporters gathered at the Hotel Saranac in Saranac Lake.
Owens arrived at Clinton County Democratic Party campaign headquarters at the American Legion Post 20 early Wednesday morning to thunderous cheers from about 200 supporters.
He was embraced by Patrick Sullivan, a representative of SEIU 1199, a health-care workers union that gave Owens more than $400,000 for his campaign.
"You did it, Bill," Sullivan boomed. "I am so proud of you."
Owens was joined on stage by his wife, Jane, and other family members.
"Upstate New York hasn't received this much attention since 1980 and the Miracle on Ice," he said, in reference to the U.S. Olympic hockey team defeating the Soviets and winning the gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.
Owens thanked his supporters for waging a strong campaign.
"You are the ones who proved that elections aren't decided by pundits or polls. You rejected the false attacks and the partisan divisions and decided that when it comes to confronting the challenges we face, we're all in this together.
"Tonight's victory is your victory and our victory."
Owens said he plans to continue his message of job creation in the North Country when he gets to Congress.
"As I go forward now to Washington, I'm going to work with Republicans, Democrats and independents to do just that."
Hoffman started at a distant third and was viewed as a spoiler at best, cutting away at Scozzafava and opening the door for Owens.
But prominent Republicans, including former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, endorsed Hoffman instead of the party-picked Scozzafava.
Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long said Republicans should take the blame for the loss.
"If we were together, we would have been victorious. The mistake was clearly made by the Republican Party when they picked their candidate."
Owens's victory may signal renewed strength among Democrats, or at least reassure them of Republicans' perceived weakness.
Republican John McHugh vacated the seat in September to become Army secretary.
Republicans had held the seat since the Civil War.
The outcome leaves Republicans holding only two seats in the state's 29-seat congressional delegation.
"They're in a civil war over the definition of their party," said Paul Blank, a Democratic consultant. "And the extremists have won."
Republicans will be sorting out their identity as the party tries to strike a balance between growing its ranks and preserving the values that set it apart from the Democratic Party.
"I think that the Republican Party is broad enough to handle many different candidates, but the fact is that I'm a common-sense conservative Republican — I am not a radical," Hoffman said Monday.
"The point is that Assemblywoman Scozzafava was not a moderate Republican. She was an ultraliberal Republican."
- Local News
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Area's state legislators recognized for taxpayer support
Sen. Betty Little ranked first in the Senate, while Assemblywomen Janet Duprey and Teresa Sayward ranked 23rd and 25th, respectively, when Unshackle Upstate released its 2010 Legislative Scorecards.
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Essex County layoffs debated
The Essex County Board of Supervisors isn't sure it wants to include layoffs in its early retirement incentive plan.
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City school mulls new tax
A utility tax would force everyone to help cover the costs of public education, while reducing the amount property owners pay in terms of property taxes.
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Capital project continues for City School
School officials say it has been a long summer with some setbacks, but work is moving forward and the outcome will benefit students.
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Tribes celebrate cigarette-tax stay
St. Regis Mohawk will be included in the temporary stay on tribal cigarette sales-tax collection.
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Ti lakeshore zoning gets rewrite
Water quality and quality of life are being touted as components of revised Ticonderoga waterfront zoning.
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Construction begins on new sidewalk along School Street in Peru
Workers have begun installing a sidewalk along School Street in the hamlet of Peru that will allow safer access to school property for students walking to and from school during the busy morning and afternoon commutes.
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Champlain Telephone Employee Stock Ownership Plan approved
President and CEO Trent Trahan will sell his majority shares to the company's non-union workers. They will get stock based on their years of employment and will be reimbursed for them when they retire.
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Women in wartime: heros, helpmates, history makers
The annual commemoration of the Battle of Plattsburgh begins this week, culminating in a remarkable mix of events over next weekend, writes columnist Richard Frost.
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P-R wins 5 Associated Press awards
Press-Republican staff takes home five awards in the 2009-10 New York State Associated Press contest.
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Ellenburg man opens dive shop in brother's memory
As he copes with the loss of his younger brother, Archie Jones hopes to teach others about scuba diving, something Melvin Jones became passionate about before his death.
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Women offered chance to boost self image
Program gives participants an opportunity to look and feel their best.
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A day in paradise
Chris Fasolino opens a window on the peaceful, stunningly beautiful village of Amalfi in Italy.
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Bed Race deadline extended
People have more time to sign up teams for Sept. 11 Rotary Red Race.
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Of Interest: Sept. 5, 2010
PSU accepting spring '11 applications; Lake Placid School Board meeting set; Westport School Board agenda planned
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Business Briefs: Sept. 5, 2010
Labor Day donation; Deadline extended; Health forum; School program; Grant received.
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Farm Briefs: Sept. 5, 2010
Hay and pasture insurance expands; High-tunnel crops experience success; Online courses for beginning farmers debut; Local dairy recognized as eco-friendly farm.
- September 4, 2010
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City school mulls new tax
A utility tax would force everyone to help cover the costs of public education, while reducing the amount property owners pay in terms of property taxes.
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Ti lakeshore zoning gets rewrite
Water quality and quality of life are being touted as components of revised Ticonderoga waterfront zoning.
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West Chazy meat market burns
D&D Meats and its upstairs apartments are now a total loss, but the owners' house next door was saved.
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Area's state legislators recognized for taxpayer support
