Barclay: I've signed pledge, Doug, how about you?
Assemblyman William A. Barclay, R-Pulaski, has signed a self-created "unity pledge," vowing to support whatever candidate emerges from September's Republican primary in the 23rd Congressional District.
He's also sent copies to his three potential opponents: Lake Placid accountant Douglas L. Hoffman, Watertown businessman Matthew A. Doheny and Franklin County Legislator Paul A. Maroun, Tupper Lake. Mr. Doheny told the Syracuse Post-Standard on Wednesday that he would also support whoever wins the primary.
UPDATE: Mr. Doheny issued a statement Friday morning that mirrors the pledge:
"I expect to be the Republican nominee for Congress this fall. Should voters choose otherwise in a primary, I will support the Republican nominee just like I did last summer. With the Obama administration proposing a budget that borrows one dollar for every three it spends, securing a Republican majority in Congress is vital and electing a Republican from the 23rd District is a must."
Mr. Hoffman, through a spokesman, has refused to entertain the possibility that he'll lose the Republican primary.
“With all due respect, I did not ask Doug Hoffman's spokesman that question, I asked Hoffman,” said Mr. Barclay in a statement. “Surely he should be able to speak for himself on such a simple question. Ducking the question by repeatedly sending out a spokesperson to spout boastful speculation is an affront to Republicans."
Mr. Barclay concluded: “Each of the prospective candidates for Congress should be willing to make it clear to Republican voters that whatever personal vanity any one of us might have, that is far less important to us than is the need, for the good of our country and the people of Central and Northern New York, to defeat Bill Owens and help reverse the direction that Washington is taking."
Here's the full release:
BUT HOFFMAN CONTINUES REFUSING TO RULE OUT WORKING TO DEFEAT
THE CHOICE OF REPUBLICAN VOTERS UNLESS HE'S THAT CHOICE
PULASKI, NY — BARCLAY FOR CONGRESS EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE, Feb 5, 2010: Just two days after promising to do so, one of the four possible contenders for the Republican nomination for Congress — State Assemblyman Will Barclay of Oswego County – has released signed copies of a pledge to support for Congress against Democrat Bill Owens in November whichever candidate that Republican voters freely choose in a primary election contest.
Barclay's pledge, signed copies of which are in the mail to each of his three likely primary election opponents and to each of the Republican county leaders in the 23rd congressional district, is as follows:
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
While I hope and expect that I will emerge as the 2010 Republican candidate for Congress in the New York 23rd congressional district, should Republican voters decide in a primary election contest that they would rather have Matt Doheny or Doug Hoffman or Paul Maroun as our party's candidate, I hereby pledge that I shall support the choice made by Republican voters in the privacy of the voting booth.
I shall also call upon anyone who supports me to join me in rallying behind the people's choice.
And I shall volunteer to campaign to help that candidate defeat Democrat Bill Owens in November.
Signed/Will Barclay
Yesterday another likely contender – Matt Doheny – told the Syracuse Post Standard that he would follow Barclay's lead and pledge to support whoever wins the primary.
But Doug Hoffman continues to refuse to rule out working to defeat the choice of rank-and-file Republican voters unless he is that choice, Barclay pointed out.
Watertown Daily Times reporter Jude Seymour wrote Wednesday that Doug Hoffman's spokesman “refused to entertain my question about what his candidate would do if he lost the Republican primary.”
That same Hoffman spokesman told Syracuse Post Standard reporter Mark Weiner yesterday that Hoffman saw “no reason to reply” to Barclay's suggestion that each prospective candidate demonstrate that they all share the objective of defeating Bill Owens by pledging to support whichever one of them the voters pick.
“Doug Hoffman needs to give an honest straight answer to a simple question,” said Barclay: “Will he or will he not pledge to support whichever candidate the people see fit to choose as their Republican candidate?”
“With all due respect, I did not ask Doug Hoffman's spokesman that question, I asked Hoffman,” said Barclay. “Surely he should be able to speak for himself on such a simple question. Ducking the question by repeatedly sending out a spokesperson to spout boastful speculation is an affront to Republicans.
On Monday, Hoffman told Albany Times-Union reporter Jimmy Vielkind, “There is no question that I am going to be the Republican and Conservative, on both ballots, in November,” a statement Barclay has said he considers arrogant.
“We candidates can only ask,” said Barclay, “but it is up to the Republican votes to decide which candidate should carry the Republican banner. And once they make their decision, shouldn't the other candidates respect their decision and support the Republican nominee?”
Added Barclay: “Each of the prospective candidates for Congress should be willing to make it clear to Republican voters that whatever personal vanity any one of us might have, that is far less important to us than is the need, for the good of our country and the people of Central and Northern New York, to defeat Bill Owens and help reverse the direction that Washington is taking,” said Barclay.
“You know,” said Barclay, “for a candidate who is boasting that he would crush any one of the rest of us in the primary, he is not acting like he really believes that.”
Barclay reiterated a point he made two days ago in a public statement: “To win back the congressional seat John McHugh held, we Republicans will need to be united. “I am committed to working for a united effort to defeat Owens. Is Doug Hoffman?”
