Doug Hoffman throws in the towel in New York’s 23rd Congressional district

Via Jude Seymour, a local TV news station is reporting that failed Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman will not be seeking a recount of the vote that elevated Rep. Bill Owens to Congress as the 23rd Congressional district’s first Democrat since 1993:

The never-ending battle in New York’s 23rd Congressional District seems to be coming closer to an end. According to his campaign, Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman has decided not to file a claim for a recount. Democrat Bill Owens leads the race by more than 3,000 votes, with only a few absentee ballots left to count.

Hoffman’s campaign has complained of tampering and the report form a St. Lawrence County website about a computer virus tainting results. But in the end, he decided not to ask for a recount.

via News 10 Now | 24 Hour Local News | TOP STORIES | Hoffman will not file for recount.

The decision not to seek a re-count isn’t the only climb down on Hoffman’s part. After spuriously claiming that ACORN and the unions had stolen his election, the Watertown Daily Times also reported that the conservative darling walked back his claim that the vote had been stolen by way of a deliberately placed computer virus:

John McCaslin, the radio co-host, asked Mr. Hoffman if he suspected that “somebody tampered with the software to change the votes that were actually cast to give a different result than the voters intended.”

“No, we’re not making that allegation,” Mr. Hoffman said. “I think we have to congratulate the elections commissioners for doing the best job that they possibly could.”

I think the calculation Hoffman has made here – a smart one – is that he’s more likely to get backing in the NY-23 from the local GOP if he doesn’t wander around spewing allegations against phantoms that no one else can see. Hoffman was a good part of the 2009 effort on the GOP’s part to claim that it was building anti-Obama momentum, but heading into ‘10, it’s just one race among dozens where Congressional Republicans can hope to make a pick-up. He’s going to need serious backing from North Country Republicans and a friendly relationship with local institutions in order to gin up the support he needs to make a credible challenge against Rep. Owens. Pooping where he eats by declaring that everyone else in the district is corrupt is the best way to face massive resistance and make people more amenable to a center-moving, John McHugh-like Bill Owens.

Update: Also from News 10:

When we asked if that meant the challenges were over, we were told never say never and to wait for a full statement coming later this week.

Not sure what that means. If you’re not seeking a recount, what’s left to challenge? The full statement will probably be some sort of signaling on 2010.