Huckabee Will Not Endorse Anyone in the Controversial NY-23 Race (UPDATE)
An off year special election in upstate New York has received a lot of attention and created a bit of a spilt among Republicans. The vacancy was created when Rep. John McHugh was appointed as Secretary of the Army in September of this year. Controversy has since been brewing since the New York Republican Party choose to forgo a typical primary election and instead have the eleven county chairman within the district nominate moderate Republican State Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava.
Scozzafava policy positions, particularly her pro-abortion and pro-gay rights positions, quickly troubled conservatives within the district leading many to instead support Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman. A recent Siena College poll showed Hoffman earning the support of 23% of the voters nearly catching Scozzafava who has 29% support. This split of the conservative and moderate Republicans has given Democratic nominee the lead with 33% support.
The clear
policy differences lead former Presidential candidate Fred Thompson as well as the fiscal conservative group Club for Growth to endorse Hoffman over the Republican nominee. “Doug is a conservative, who understands that our freedom is our greatest strength, that life is a precious gift, and that getting back to our founding principles will ensure our nation’s security and prosperity for us and for our children and grandchildren,” wrote Thompson in his endorsement from his political action committee FredPAC.
However, some Republicans, concerned about losing the seat in the U.S. House, are circling the wagons around Scozzafava. Up the this point, RNC Chairman Michael Steele has keep the Republican National Committee out of the race completely but yesterday, the New York newspaper Watertown Daily Times reported that the RNC is preparing to send “a big influx of cash” through the National Republican Congressional Committee. And this morning, rumored 2012 Presidential candidate and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich endorsed Scozzafava saying she represents “our best chance to put responsible and principled leaders in Washington.”
On the Arkansas angle, speculation has been mounting as to whether our former Governor Mike Huckabee, one of the leading contenders for the 2012 Presidential nomination, will weigh in on the special election. Huckabee is scheduled to speak to the Conservative Party of New York in Syracuse on October 27 leading many to question if he will endorse the Doug Hoffman at that event.
However, Sarah Huckabee, the director of Mike Huckabee’s Political Action 
Committee, HuckPAC confirmed to the Tolbert Report yesterday that HuckPAC “will not endorse anyone in this race.” She also confirmed this morning that he will not be making a personal endorsement, in spite of the speculation regarding his appearance on October 27 to the New York Conservative Party’s $125 a plate Conservative Recognition Dinner.
Huckabee appears to be walking a tightrope on this one. An endorsement of Hoffman would certainly rally conservatives and lend legitimacy to his third party challenge however doing so could upset the Republican establishment by openly supporting a Republican opponent. It remains to be seen if other Presidential contenders such as Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, or Tim Pawlenty will follow Huckabee’s lead and sit this one out or pick a side in the race.
UPDATE – American Spectator adds a bit more to the behind the scenes drama over Huckabee’s non-endorsement. It looks like some of the members of the New York Conservative Party are not too pleased with Huckabee speaking at their dinner and not endorsing their main guy.
In my humble opinion, they have this all wrong. The real story here is Huckabee’s refusal to back the moderate Republican candidate as many Republican Party leaders, such as Newt Gingrich, have caved in and done.
Regardless, the NY-23 election is shaping up to be an epic showdown between the conservative and the moderate wings of the Republican Party. A victory for Hoffman will signal that Republicans will not support moderate candidates such as Scozzafava in 2010.
October 16th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
[...] Huck won’t take sides in NY 23 race. [...]
October 17th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Hello, GOP Leadership? Anyone listening?
No primary? Nominate a “moderate” (read: liberal) and expect votes to come rolling in JUST BECAUSE SHE HAS “REPUBLICAN” BY HER NAME?
Sometimes Governor Huckabee acts with courage and stands up for the right choices. Unfortunately, this is not one of those times.
October 18th, 2009 at 12:05 am
So basically Huckabee stands for nothing.
October 19th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Actually, the facts are wrong in the reporting and were easily cleared up for me when I called and asked about them. Huckabee was booked to speak before Hoffman was even a candidate. His speaking is booked by a bureau and not by his political arm HuckPAC. The mess in NY was created by the party in NY, not Huckabee. Bottom line is Huckabee is right to stay out of the infighting right now in NY. and only do what he agreed to do before all this was even remotely a possibility and that is deliver a speech to a group who booked him through the speakers bureau.
October 19th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
James – I assume you mean American Spectator has the facts wrong. I never said HuckPAC booked Huckabee to speak. I am well aware that Gov. Huckabee’s for-profit business booked this and that the fee is going to himself and not his PAC.
October 19th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Jason,
Yes I am sorry I didn’t make that more clear. Others were commenting on Huckabee as it pertained to the story and I was responding to that and pointing out the story. And also, the speaking bureau Huckabee has a contract with booked this, not his personal business and they did it long before Hoffman was in the race. I think there is no story here really and disagree with you on that point but yes, if there were a story it might be that Huckabee is principled and that is why he is not endorsing the “Republican” candidate (because he doesn’t think she is right on the issues.)and therefore not just backing here because of her label, but he is also principled in letting elections happen and not just signing on to a 3rd party once you have been defeated or not selected. It is much like the Arlen Spector deal, only different. LOL!
October 19th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
“…the speaking bureau Huckabee has a contract with booked this, not his personal business…”
I get SOOOOOO tired of hearing this argument. Huckabee does not work for the speaking bureau; they work for him. He can speak anywhere he wants and charge anything he wants. Please don’t give the whole “speaking bureau” line and try to pretend Huckabee is not making money. He is charging the New York Conservative Party five digits figures (his minimum fee is $33,000 + expenses) to speak at their dinner but does not want to get his hands dirty by endorsing their main candidate. Just give Huckabee his check and shut up.
I guess that is what those New Yorkers get for booking a fake Conservative anyway. I bet they are now wishing they had gone with someone like Palin.
October 20th, 2009 at 12:52 am
The point still remains he was booked long before they even had a candidate, and yes he does command a high fee because he is one of the best speakers in the country and one of the most in demand. But the speakers bureau is the one who books him and he is under contract with them so those points still remain. Jealousy and hate shine through in your post. I don’t see you refuting the facts just your opinion on Huckabee. He gets paid to speak not endorse, they knew what they were paying for and what the cost was, anyone upset that he is not just throwing his endorsement into the cost is foolish if you asked me. I am glad to see his endorsement isn’t for sale. You may think his fee is too high, but apparently those who book speakers do not, I may think the price of a Lexus is too high but those who buy them don’t so the amount of his fee is really not relevant at all. Bottom line, Huckabee is not wrong here in fact he is dead on right.
October 20th, 2009 at 7:18 am
Okay, simmer down everyone.
October 21st, 2009 at 8:53 am
Just want to get this straight… Hoffman shot up 7 points in the last poll. Scores of New Yorkers who had no idea what was going on in this race are on the bandwagon. Huckabee–who is supporting candidates (and stumping for them!) in Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, Florida, California, Georgia and other states–didn’t snap to attention and endorse someone immediately because the grassroots said so and that’s evidence of his not acting courageously? Get a grip people. There are Huck PAC volunteers working on local, state and federal races across the country including this one. Just because the Governor didn’t jump in this race with both feet minutes after the rest of the johnny-come-latelies is no reason to question his integrity.
October 21st, 2009 at 11:47 am
[...] to The Tolbert Report’s coverage, I have been obsessively following New York’s 23rd Congressional District race. This is [...]
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:29 pm
It really disgusts me that Newt has endorsed the Democrat rather than the conservative in this race. Evidently Newt is more Republican than he is conservative. If you have a Republican who votes like a Democrat, wouldn’t it just be better to have the Democrat win to begin with? That way you know what you’re getting.
October 24th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
The feeling I had deep down in my gut when Huckabee waffled on endorsing Hoffman is that he is weak, and more concerned about the GOP party establishment, then America. It doesn’t matter that he didn’t endorse Scozzafava. It’s a no brainer to not endorse a liberal RINO. I’m shocked that Ginchrich and Huckabee are that out of tune with conservatives. The old GOP is done. finsished…and they don’t see it. If Hoffman does not win this election, and I think he has the momentum to pull it off, then he will be positioned with name recognition to win the same seat next year. Huckabee cannot beat Obama anyway, so he did nothing to further his aspirations of being President. All he did was show where his true loyalties lie. Somehow I feel in my gut that Romney is not hurt by also not endorsing Hoffman. Romney is out campaigning for other conservtives like Jim Demint, and at least Romney doesn’t go around pretending to be a preacher slick conservative like Huckabee does. Romney, I believe, will trend more to the right when elected President in 2012. I don’t buy the spill that Romney say’s anything to get elected. He has flip flopped before on issues before, but he is not perfect. Romney doesn’t pretend to be far right on everything like Huckabee does, but I believe Romney will rise to the occasion, seeing what our times call for. I’ll keep watching Huckabee play his bass guitar on Fox.