This morning, Dede Sozzafava announced that she is suspending her campaign. This is great news for people who were fighting back against the GOP establishment.
From Politico:
Republican Dede Scozzafava has suspended her bid in next Tuesday’s NY 23 special election, a huge development that dramatically shakes up the race. She did not endorse either of her two opponents — Conservative party candidate Doug Hoffman or Democrat Bill Owens.
The decision to suspend her campaign is a boost for Hoffman, who already had the support of 50 percent of GOP voters, according to a newly-released Siena poll, and is now well-positioned to win over the 25 percent of Republicans who had been sticking with Scozzafava.
Scozzafava has “probably made her last campaign appearance between now and Election Day,” spokesman Matt Burns told POLITICO. “She’s releasing her support to the two other candidates.”
“I had a discussion with her last night, and we made the decision after I spoke with her. We talked about it, what this came down to was spending. It came down to the ability to defend herself from the get-go. And that’s the reality. She was unable to define herself where the people didn’t know her.”
POLITICO has the full story on Scozzafava’s surprise decision here.
Mark Tapscott at the Washington Examiner is doing a great round-up on the reaction:
Craig Shirley, conservative PR guru and author of “Rendezvous with Destiny: Ronald Reagan and the campaign that changed America,” who sees Scozzafava withdrawal as “a huge, huge black eye for the national Republican Party establishment and the first tangible sign that Reaganism is reasserting itself.”
Chip Hanlon, RedCounty.com calls it “a very big win for principle and a loss for political expediency and cronyism.”
Ed Morrissey at Hot Air:
“I had neglected to review the poll in much detail, but I suspect that Scozzafava’s withdrawal (or suspension, more accurately, since her name will stay on the ballot) hurts Bob Owens tremendously. According to the poll, Hoffman had attracted 50% of the Republican vote, while Owens had 2/3rds of the Democrats. Hoffman leads Owens among independents, 40%-35%, and the remaining 15% supporting Scozzafava will almost certainly break more towards Hoffman than Owens.
“Owens will likely get more of Scozzafava’s Democratic supporters, but she only had 11%, while 14% have already gone to Hoffman. Hoffman and Owens had a near-even split of the opposition in Scozzafava’s regional stronghold of Jefferson/Lewis/St. Lawrence counties, but I’d be surprised if Hoffman didn’t pick up more in those areas of disaffected Scozzafava voters, too.”
Erick Erickson, RedState.com: “On this our hill to die on, we made the other poor schmucks die on it!”
Michelle Malkin: “Hey GOP elites, can you hear conservatives now?”
Adam Bitely, New Media activist: ”This is a big day for the tea party movement. Not only did the tea party and conservative activists in New York and across the country take down the GOP establishment, they are changing the status quo of all elections to come. Now, we will have the upper hand when it comes to dealing with the inside politics of the GOP.”
Dan Riehl,Riehl World View: “I don’t know how Dede Scozzafava ends up in all this. But I don’t mind going on record to say I don’t begrudge her anything at all. She looks to have been recruited for this slot, then gotten caught up in a maelstrom. She’s still a human being. But with the Albany Times Union pointing out that the NRCC slashed it’s funding a week ago. And reports on the ground now confirming a pull-out. Well, it is what it is. Politics is hardball. And there are fast ones flying everywhere in this one.”
Marjorie Dannenfelser, Susan B. Anthony List: “Dede Scozzafava’s courage and strength allowed her to make the choice to let the strongest candidate in her party move forward, and to serve the voters of the 23rd District.
“Dede Scozzafava has worked extremely hard to achieve the goal of becoming the next Congressman from New York’s 23rd District. This must have been an incredibly difficult decision — she did not get into the race to lose. It takes courage and strength to step back and make the best choice for her party, and for the voters of the 23rd District. Now it’s time for the GOP to step up.”
“On behalf of conservative voters, activists, and volunteers across the district, I call on the national GOP to finally throw its full support and resources behind Doug Hoffman for Congress. A Hoffman victory is within sight.”
