This is indeed great news. While I supported the more conservative Hoffman over Doheny in the GOP primary, Doheny is an acceptable candidate who won the primary fair and square, and all that Hoffman could have accomplished by staying on the ballot as the Conservative Party nominee was splitting the conservative vote and throwing the election to the RAT Owens.
I recall that in order for Lazio to be able to drop out of the governor’s race (after having received the Conservative Party nomination) he had to either move out of state or be nominated for a judgeship. Does NY have the same rule for names on the ballot for congressional races? If so, Hoffman would either have to receive a nomination for a judgeship (despite being an accountant, not a lawyer) or else move several hundred miles away from his home in Lake Placid (or move just a few miles north to Canada, which obviously would not be so easy to do legally).
I read in another article his name will remain on the ballot on the Conservative Party line even though he’s now saying don’t vote for me and support Doheny.
Not exactly. There was talk before Lazio agreed to drop out that the CP could remove him simply by nominating him as their candidate for a judgeship — since you can’t be on both ballots, they could then remove him without his consent.
Once Lazio dropped out of the race, they could nominate another candidate at their convention (since their “primary winner” was no longer a candidate.
Hoffman could have done the same thing if he had simply dropped out before the convention, but he waited another week and THEN dropped out.
Very well-put, this is very good news. I’m glad that Hoffman came to his senses.