Hoffman Officially Competing For GOP Nod

LAKE PLACID - Douglas L. Hoffman rode a strong wave of conservative activism to a second place finish in last fall's special election in the 23rd Congressional District. Now the Lake Placid accountant - and adopted son of the Tea Party movement - is back for a second try, but not without some competition.

Mr. Hoffman formally entered the race for the Republican nomination Monday, telling his supporters in a letter posted to his Web site that he "will defeat Bill Owens" if there's a re-match.

"The months ahead will be filled with hard work because I realize: You don't inherit a nomination, you have to work for it," the candidate wrote. "I plan to work hard to deserve the nomination of the Republican, Conservative and Independence parties and unite them, as one team, to defeat the agenda of Nancy Pelosi and Bill Owens."

Mr. Hoffman's fiscal and social conservative positions helped him land early endorsements last fall from Club for Growth, a prominent Washington D.C.-based anti-tax group, and U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson. He leveraged their support to gain national attention from conservative pundits during an off-year for House elections.

Mr. Hoffman is the first of four potential Republican candidates for the seat this year to officially announce their candidacies.

Watertown businessman Matthew A. Doheny said Tuesday he was "definitely running" and said an official announcement was "just a formality at this point."

"It's just a matter of putting the ducks in a row," he said.

Franklin County Legislator Paul A. Maroun said Tuesday that he is interested in the seat, but undecided about whether or not to run.

"The same people that would have committed money to me last time have said they are in for it again," he said. "I think there's still time."

Mr. Doheny, Mr. Hoffman and Mr. Maroun all sought the Republican nomination during last fall's special election. The nod went instead to Ms. Scozzafava, a state assemblywoman.

Assemblyman William A. Barclay, R-Pulaski, told supporters in a Feb. 26 e-mail that he would reveal his intentions within two weeks. That self-imposed deadline is Friday.

Although Mr. Hoffman is publicly restarting his campaign, the accountant has been working on his second bid since he conceded the first one last November.

Before the election results were certified last fall, Mr. Hoffman alleged "ACORN, the unions and the Democratic Party" had "tampered" with results to deny him victory - and asked supporters to send him money to "ensure every vote is counted."

Mr. Hoffman, who ran on the Conservative Party line in the special election, soon dropped the "tampering" claim, but then alleged that the voting machines during the special election had a "virus," a charge denied by the state Board of Elections.

The candidate ultimately decided not to contest the election results after raising funds for a potential legal challenge, but vowed to challenge Mr. Owens again in the fall instead of opposing Rep. M. Scott Murphy, D-Glens Falls. Mr. Hoffman lives in Mr. Murphy's district.

The Republican's second election bid received an early boost when state Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long promised to clear the decks for Mr. Hoffman if he were to run again.

Mr. Hoffman also released a poll he paid for that showed him as the favorite for the Republican nomination, a move criticized by his three would-be opponents. He then received positive receptions last month at both state and national Conservative political action conferences. Mr. Hoffman and Mr. Long shared the Charlton Heston Courage Under Fire award at the national conference "for putting principle over their own interests."