Here's more evidence that the Tea Party movement is hurting some Republican's chances of winning in November. In New York's lower Hudson Valley, a conservative right-to-life candidate is mounting a write-in campaign against the Republican primary winner, Nan Hayworth, who is facing Democratic Congressman John Hall in November.
When Neil Di Carlo lost the GOP Primary to Hayworth, he continued his campaign, stating that there are still other choices for conservative voters in New York's 19th Congressional District.
And in Orange County, fliers and signs asking voters to write in Di Carlo for Congress are popping up, likely because of Nan Hayworth's stances on abortion and other social issues. And while Di Carlo hasn't quite came out and say to write him in come November, Di Carlo is adamant that voters select another candidate in the race instead of Hayworth or Congressman John Hall.
On his campaign website, Di Carlo asked voters to stick by their principles and not vote for Hayworth:
To endorse or vote for Nan Hayworth, however, would require me to place profound moral principles beneath mere party expediency - a price neither I nor any candidate should be required to pay. Our differences on social issues fall within these bounds.
I believe that forsaking our moral American heritage is to blame for much of our country's downfall.
To those who feel that neither candidate represents their concerns, I encourage you to still vote on November 2nd and write in a candidate of your choice.
Don't assume that one-issue voters will swarm to a write-in candidate, nor assume that these voters will sit on their hands because of Nan Hayworth's stances on abortion and other social issues. Still, I don't doubt that the votes gathered by Neil Di Carlo on election day won't peel away, at least a bit, from Nan Hayworth's tally.
A version of this diary also appears onLeft of the Hudson, The Albany Project, and Plan Putnam.