The race for the 23rd: a timeline

Here are the events that led to Tuesday night's election of a new congressman in the 23rd Congressional District:

■ June 2: President Barack Obama taps Rep. John M. McHugh, R-Pierrepont Manor, to become secretary of the Army after McHugh's 16 years in the House of Representatives

■ July 22: Assemblywoman Dierdre K. Scozzafava, R-Gouverneur, chosen by the Republican chairpersons of the 11 counties over eight other hopefuls

■ July 23: State Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, says he will not run for the seat

■ July 24: The state's Independence Party endorses Ms. Scozzafava

■ July 30: Rep. McHugh sails through confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee

■ Aug. 4: The Armed Services Committee approves the confirmation of Rep. McHugh as secretary of the Army

■ Aug. 6: Rep. McHugh's Senate confirmation is stalled by the two Kansas senators protesting a proposal to house Guantanamo Bay detainees

■ Aug. 7: Douglas L. Hoffman, a Lake Placid accountant, chosen by Conservative county chairs and regional vice-chairs as that party's candidate after the Republican Party passed over him for its nomination

■ Aug. 10: William L. Owens, a political independent and Plattsburgh attorney, chosen as Democratic candidate over eight other applicants

■ Sept. 16: Rep. McHugh confirmed by the Senate as Secretary of the Army after the Kansas senators drop their procedural objections

■ Sept. 21: John M. McHugh begins duties as secretary of the Army

■ Sept. 29: Gov. David A. Paterson sets Nov. 3 as the date for the special election

■ Oct.1: Ms. Scozzafava leads in a poll done by the nonpartisan Siena Research Institute with 35 percent, compared to Mr. Owens's 28 percent and Mr. Hoffman's 16 percent, with 21 percent undecided

■ Oct. 14: The candidate's financial disclosure reports to the Federal Elections Commission show Mr. Owens had raised $503,296, Mr. Hoffman had brought in $307,045 and Ms. Scozzafava had raised $250,205

■ Oct. 16: Mr. Owens takes the lead in a Siena poll, with 33 percent, compared to Ms. Scozzafava's 29 percent and Mr. Hoffman's 23 percent

■ Oct. 19: Ms. Scozzafava's husband Ronald P. McDougall calls police on a persistent reporter from the conservative magazine The Weekly Standard after a Lewis County Republican Party dinner

■ Oct. 29: The three candidates meet in the only debate at WSYR Newschannel 9, Syracuse

■ Oct. 31: Ms. Scozzafava halts her campaigning and releases her supporters after a Siena poll shows her at 20 percent. Mr. Owens and Mr. Hoffman are locked in a statistical dead heat with 36 and 35 percent, respectively

■ Nov. 1: Ms. Scozzafava endorses Mr. Owens for the seat

■ Nov. 2: A final Siena poll shows Mr. Hoffman leading with 41 percent, Mr. Owens trailing with 36 percent, 18 percent undecided and six percent voting for Ms. Scozzafava. A poll done by Public Policy Polling showed Mr. Hoffman with 51 percent, followed by Mr. Owens with 34 percent and Ms. Scozzafava with 13 percent

■ Nov. 2: Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. appears in final-day campaigning for Mr. Owens while former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., and country singer John Rich rally for Mr. Hoffman