| Scozzafava's Record May Damage Congressional Hopes |
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As NYCF has previously reported, Assemblymember Dede Scozzafava (R - Gouverneur) has announced that she will run for Congress in New York’s 23rd Congressional District.
Some observers were taken aback by the Republican Party’s decision to endorse Asm. Scozzafava for Congress, given that her voting record has caused concern for pro-life and pro-family New Yorkers. These voters are a significant base in New York’s 23rd congressional district. In 2007, Asm. Scozzafava received a 56% rating from The Conservative Party of New York State, but in 2008, she received only a 15% rating.
"Dede Scozzafava hasn’t moved in a positive direction on social issues. If anything, she seems to have rapidly shifted to the left," commented Stephen P. Hayford of The Association of Politically Active Christians (APAC). Over the past few years, Asm. Scozzafava has voted for medical marijuana legislation and for making morning-after pills available to minors without a doctor’s prescription. She has also voted in favor of a Planned Parenthood-promoted bill known as the Healthy Teens Act, along with a homosexual/transgender-supported bill called the Dignity for All Students Act.
In response to a political questionnaire, Asm. Scozzafava has indicated that abortion should “always be legal”. Finally, in 2007, Asm. Scozzafava joined three other Republican members of the Assembly in voting in favor of same-sex marriage; Asm. Scozzafava then cast another vote in favor of counterfeit marriage in 2009. According to Rev. Jason J. McGuire, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, Asm. Scozzafava’s votes in favor of same-sex “marriage” have earned her the support of the Log Cabin Republicans, a pro-homosexual Republican group.
When New York State Senator Darrel Aubertine (D - Cape Vincent) announced that he would not run for Rep. McHugh’s seat, many observers believed that Asm. Scozzafava was the leading candidate to succeed Rep. McHugh. However, the landscape changed significantly when the Conservative Party endorsed Doug Hoffman for Congress. Hoffman, a Lake Placid businessman, has described himself as a “Reagan Republican.” Hoffman’s web site indicates that he is “pro-life, period,” and Hoffman has publicly expressed strong support for the traditional, opposite-sex definition of marriage. A recent non-scientific poll from the Adirondack Daily Enterprise showed Hoffman leading the three-way race.
“Conservative Party Chairman Michael R. Long mentioned Asm. Scozzafava’s repeated votes in favor of same-sex ‘marriage’ as some of the chief reasons for the Party’s decision to oppose her candidacy and endorse its own candidate,” said Stephen Hayford. Hayford added, “The 23rd District is a conservative, Republican district, and Doug Hoffman’s campaign is really gaining traction. Asm. Scozzafava’s support for same-sex ‘marriage’ has cost her dearly thus far, and it significantly lowers her chances of winning this election.”
For more information on the candidates for Congress in New York’s 23rd District, please visit them online:
Bill Owens http://www.billowensforcongress.com/
Dede Scozzafava http://www.dedeforcongress.com/
Doug Hoffman http://www.doughoffmanforcongress.com/
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That North Country seat is being vacated by Rep. John McHugh, a Republican who has been nominated by President Barack Obama to become the next Secretary of the Army. A special election will be held once Rep. McHugh is confirmed by the U.S. Senate and resigns his position in the House of Representatives. Aside from Asm. Scozzafava, announced candidates include Democratic candidate Bill Owens and Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman.
