Nov 6, 2009 3:08 pm US/Eastern
Democrat Bill Owens Sworn In As NY-23 Rep.
Retired Air Force Captain Meets President Obama, Takes Part In Ceremonial Swearing-In
WASHINGTON (CBS) ―
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Conservative Doug Hoffman and Democrat Bill Owens. (File)
AP
Retired Air Force Capt. Bill Owens, a Democrat, was sworn in as representative of the NY-23 district in time to vote on a sweeping overhaul of the nation's health care system.
Owens met with President Barack Obama at the White House on Friday and took part in a ceremonial swearing-in with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Owens beat Conservative Doug Hoffman in the special election on Tuesday, after Republican Dierdre Scozzafava withdrew under pressure from the party's right wing.
The seat was vacated when John McHugh became secretary of the Army.
Owens is the first Democratic congressman from the region since 1857.
House Democrats had hoped to pass a health care bill Saturday but acknowledged Friday they didn't have enough votes yet.
Dierdre Scozzafava, a moderate Republican, withdrew from the race Saturday under pressure from the party's right wing because of her support of abortion rights and same-sex marriage. She still picked up 5 percent of the vote.
Hoffman conceded the race Wednesday.
Hoffman started at a distant third and was viewed as a spoiler at best, cutting away at Scozzafava and opening the door for Owens. But prominent Republicans such as former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty endorsed Hoffman instead of the party-picked Scozzafava.
Owens' victory may signal renewed strength among Democrats, or at least reassure them of Republicans' perceived weakness. The seat has been strongly Republican for decades. The outcome leaves Republicans holding only two seats in the state's 29-seat congressional delegation. Republican John McHugh vacated the seat in September to become Army secretary.
"They're in a civil war over the definition of their party," said Paul Blank, a Democratic consultant. "And the extremists have won."
Republicans will be sorting out their identity as the party tries to strike a balance between growing its ranks and preserving the values that set it apart from the Democratic Party.
"I think that the Republican Party is broad enough to handle many different candidates, but the fact is that I'm a commonsense conservative Republican -- I am not a radical," Hoffman said Monday. "The point is that Assemblywoman Scozzafava was not a moderate Republican. She was an ultraliberal Republican."
Meanwhile, the GOP won a hotly contested gubernatorial battle in New Jersey on Tuesday, as Republican Chris Christie unseated Democrat Jon Corzine in a race that garnered much national attention, especially from the White House. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden spent time campaigning for Corzine, as the independent voters who helped elect Obama voiced concern over taxes and high unemployment numbers.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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