Democrats have captured the 23rd Congressional District in New York.
CNN and Fox News called the race for Democrat Bill Owens, making him the first Democrat to hold the upstate New York seat since the Civil War. With 87 percent of precincts reporting, Owens led conservative party candidate Doug Hoffman by 49-45.
Owens will replace Republican John McHugh, who President Obama named to be his secretary of the Army.
Owens, who enjoyed campaign visits and fundraising from Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, also was boosted when Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava dropped out of the race over the weekend and endorsed him.
Hoffman attracted national Republicans and emboldened the Tea Party movement as a potential sign that more conservative candidates would prevail in 2010.
“Let’s win this one for the next generation of Americans!” Hoffman tweeted earlier today.
Former DNC Chairman Howard Dean earlier today said the Hoffman surge proves the “ascendancy of the right wing of Republican party.”
Hoffman appeared earlier on Fox:
