Doug Hoffman Lacks Votes to Win Following "Unconcession"

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: 2009 Elections

(CBS/ AP)

There are not enough outstanding votes left for Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate who conceded-and-then-unconceded following his apparent loss in the closely-watched NY-23 House race, to catch his opponant.

The Watertown Times reports that Democrat Bill Owens now leads Hoffman by 3,105 votes with only 3,072 absentee ballots to be counted. Even if every one of those ballots went to Hoffman, he still couldn't close the gap.

Hoffman formally announced Wednesday that he was withdrawing his election night concession, echoing a comment on Glenn Beck's radio show. He blamed community-organizing group ACORN for stealing the election, though he provided no evidence.

Owens was sworn into Congress earlier this month, and he voted in favor of the health care reform bill that narrowly passed the House.

There is speculation that Hoffman's decision to question the election is a fundraising gambit aimed at recouping some of the personal funds he spent on the race.

Hoffman's Web site features a story entitled "VIRUS in the VOTING MACHINES" that alleges "The computerized voting machines used by many voters in the 23rd district had a computer virus - tainting the results, not just from those machines known to have been infected, but casting doubt on the accuracy of counts retrieved from any of the machines."

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by bpai99 November 20, 2009 4:00 PM EST: Given how partisan things have become, I predict that conceding elections will become a thing of the past. In every election, the "loser" will never concede and automatically sue to have the result overturned. No election will be undisputed.; Reply to this comment


by Shibbol November 20, 2009 12:47 PM EST: Please tell all Republicans and similar folks that, 2000 notwithstanding, the person with the most votes usually wins the election.; Reply to this comment


by jcaravala November 20, 2009 12:11 PM EST: Ah shucks, now the teabaggers will need to find someone to blame. I wonder how ACORN will fit in the expected whining that is sure to begin.; Reply to this comment