ALBANY—Republicans have picked Assemblywoman DeDe Scozzafava as their candidate to replace John McHugh in Congress.
The 11 county chairs in the sprawling 23rd District met this afternoon in Potsdam and selected Scozzafava, of Gouverneur, to be their candidate. The move follows a month-long series of interviews and forums around the district.
"It's been a good process," Scozzafava told me earlier this afternoon. (She didn't pick up her cell phone just now.) She said she was "hopeful" of the decision.
It was unclear whether the chairs would make a decision at the meeting, but two Republican sources familiar with the selection process confirmed the decision. She is considered to be fairly liberal—she voted to legalize same-sex marriage—and has recently been attacked for outstanding tax liens owed by businesses connected to her brother.
The seat is expected to become available when McHugh, nominated by Barack Obama to be secretary of the Army, is confirmed to the post. That would necessitate a special election, which has not yet been called.
