Recently, Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge in his race to replace retiring Congressman John McHugh of New York’s 23rd Congressional District. Rep. John McHugh resigned from office to become Secretary of the Army in the Obama Administration. Currently, Hoffman is the only candidate to sign the Pledge in this race. ATR strongly encourages all candidates in this race to stand up for taxpayers and commit to protecting their wallets from the expanding size of government.

Hoffman faces two other candidates in this race including GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava and Democrat Bill Owens. Cook Political Report ranks this race as a “Toss Up” with a PVI of R+1 while CQ also sees this race as a “Toss Up.”  Rep. McHugh repeatedly won reelection with strong vote margins while President Obama took the district by 5 percent in 2008.
 
To see ATR’s official statement on Hoffman signing the Pledge, click read more.
 
Douglas Hoffman (R-N.Y.) signs the Taxpayer Protection Pledge
Congressional candidate promises to protect taxpayers’ wallets
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Douglas Hoffman, a Republican running in New York’s 23rd Congressional District, recently signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform (ATR). The Pledge commits signers to “oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses … and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.”
 
ATR has offered the Pledge to all candidates for federal office since 1987. To date, 34 U.S. senators and 172 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed the Pledge. Additionally, seven Governors and over 1,100 state legislators have signed the Pledge.
 
“After the passage of the so-called “Stimulus Package,” better known as the Pelosi-Obama-Reid Spending Give-Away, Americans are desperately searching for candidates and politicians that will protect their livelihoods and put their wallets ahead of the federal government’s coffers ,” said Grover Norquist, president of ATR.
 
“By signing the Pledge, Douglas Hoffman demonstrates that he understands the problems of hard-working taxpayers nationwide, but especially the taxpayers of New York’s 23rd Congressional District.”
 
“I challenge all candidates for federal office to make the same commitment to taxpayers by signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge today,” Norquist continued.