By Jason Smith
Oswego, NY – The race for New York's 23rd Congressional District appears to be down to 2, as Republican Dede Scozzafava suspended her campaign Saturday morning.
The decision comes amid the latest poll from Siena college, released Saturday morning. The poll shows Democrat Bill Owens and Conservative Doug Hoffman in a dead heat, with Scozzafava falling far behind. See the full poll results here
In a letter to supporters, Scozzafava said "On Election Day my name will appear on the ballot, but victory is unlikely. To those who support me and to those who choose not to I offer my sincerest thanks." The full text of her letter to supporters is below.
Meanwhile on Sunday, Scozzafava threw her support behind Democrat Bill Owens, saying "I strongly believe Bill is the only candidate who can build upon John McHugh's lasting legacy in the U.S. Congress. John and I worked together on the expansion of Fort Drum and I know how important that base is to the economy of this region. I am confident that Bill will be able to provide the leadership and continuity of support to Drum Country just as John did during his tenure in Congress."
Owens released a statement on the endorsement, saying "Now more than ever we need bipartisan solutions to help bring jobs to Upstate New York to get our economy back on track and move our country forward. Those are the kinds of priorities I will fight for in Congress because that's the kind of leadership Upstate New York needs right now."
Vice President Joe Biden is making a campaign appearance for Owens on Monday in Watertown.
Former GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson will stump for Conservative Doug Hoffman in Watertown on Monday as well