BULLETIN - AT 11:53 A.M. ET:   There has been a remarkable development in the most closely watched off-year congressional election in the country.

In New York's 23rd Congressional District, the establishment Republican candidate, Dede Scozzafava, has suspended her campaign, meaning that the conservative vote on Tuesday won't be split.  NBC's Chuck Todd reports:

As first reported by the Watertown Daily Times, the Republican nominee in the New York 23rd Congressional special election, Dede Scozzafava, announced this morning she's suspending her campaign. Her exit leaves Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman, who had garnered plenty of national GOP support, as the favorite to win what was a hotly-contested 3-way race. Republicans had feared that Hoffman and Scozzafava would split the Republican vote in this somewhat competitive district and hand the seat to Democrat Bill Owens. Former Republican Congressman John McHugh resigned his seat earlier this year after he was named by Pres. Obama to be the Secretary of the Army.

COMMENT:  It's a moderate Republican district, but Scozzafava is left of moderate, which annoyed conservatives, who got behind Hoffman, in a revolt.  Assuming Hoffman brings in most of Scozzafava's vote, he'll win.

But the race may leave some bitterness within the party.  True, Scozzafava was hardly a model Republican candidate.  But many national Republicans, including Sarah Palin, stepped in to boost the Conservative Party alternative.  To what degree should national figures try to influence a local race, run by the local party, which knows the district?  This will be debated.

October 31, 2009