On Nov. 16, ThinkProgress reported that failed Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman told Glenn Beck that he was unconceding the NY-23 special election, even though the winner, Democrat Bill Owens, was already in office. Shortly thereafter, however, Hoffman’s spokesman said that they weren’t unconceding the race. But then on Nov. 19, Hoffman posted a statement on his website, this time making clear that he was actually unconceding the race, citing concerns about voter fraud at the hands of ACORN and labor unions. Today, Hoffman has put out another statement, this time saying that he is conceding:

Yesterday, the remaining ballots were counted in the 23rd Congressional District special election. The results re-affirm the fact that Bill Owens won.

Since, the morning of November 4th, many of my supporters have asked me to challenge the outcome of this race. Their concerns centered on the veracity of the new voting machines used, for the first time, in the majority of the eleven counties that make up the Congressional District. Over the past three weeks, we nearly cut Bill Owens’ lead in half. Sadly, that is not enough.

On Monday, ThinkProgress reported that failed Conservative Party candidate had rescinded his concession to Democrat Bill Owens in the NY-23 special congressional election. The next day, however, Hoffman’s spokesman said he was un-conceding the race, adding that they weren’t planning on challenging the results. Now, alleging widespread voter fraud at the hands of ACORN and labor unions, Hoffman is again taking back his concession. From a statement posted on his website last night:

As evidence surfaces, we find out that reported results from election night were far from accurate. ACORN and the unions did their best to try and sway the results to Obamacare supporter Bill Owens. [...]

Rest assured, they will not succeed, and I am therefore revoking my statement of concession.

But as Politico’s Josh Kraushaar notes, “Hoffman currently faces next-to-no chance of pulling ahead,” as he would “need to win nearly 80 percent of the outstanding absentee ballots to win.” The Jefferson County Republican elections commissioner said that Hoffman’s allegations were “absolutely false.”

Yesterday, ThinkProgress reported that Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman had rescinded his concession to Democrat Bill Owens in the special congressional election in New York’s 23rd district. Hoffman went on Glenn Beck’s radio show and said he was feeling “hopeful” about the fact that Owens’ lead over him was narrowing with the counting of the district’s absentee ballots. “[I]f I knew this information at the election night, I would not have conceded,” said Hoffman. When Beck asked, “So are you un-conceding?” Hoffman replied, “If that’s possible, yes.” However, today Hoffman’s spokesman told the Syracuse Post-Standard that he is un-unconceding:

Hoffman is not “un-conceding” the race, contrary to what he said Monday when pressed by Glenn Beck on his national talk radio show.

“What really matters is the count that is taking place today,” Rob Ryan, Hoffman’s spokesman told The Post-Standard. “When we see the direction that is taking, we will make the decision.”

Ryan added, “There has been no formal action to contest the vote, and depending on how the absentee count turns out we will decide how to proceed.”

As Gawker’s Alex Pareene wrote yesterday, it looks like upstate New York may have its own Norm Coleman.

On Nov. 3, Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman conceded the special election in New York’s 23rd district after finding out that he was losing considerably to Democrat Bill Owens, who has already been sworn in and cast an important vote for health care reform. However, “a standard process of correcting human errors in election night spreadsheets” has narrowed Owens’ lead over Hoffman from more than 5,000 votes to about 3,000, and the New York Board of Elections is counting around 10,000 absentee ballots.

A Hoffman win is still a longshot, but on Glenn Beck’s radio show today, he said he was feeling hopeful. He even told Beck that he was un-conceding the race:

BECK: Alright, so let me ask you two questions. Are you currently bowing to me at the waist? (LAUGHTER) Have you bowed, or will you bow, to anyone, at the waist? No? Okay, good. Second question for you, are you officially un-conceding at this moment?

HOFFMAN: Yes, if I knew this information at the election night, I would not have conceded.

BECK: So are you un-conceding?

HOFFMAN: If that’s possible, yes.

BECK: If the President can bow to an emperor and nobody says anything, yeah, I think you can unconcede.

Listen here:

If anyone could get Hoffman to unconcede the race, it would be Beck, whom Hoffman has called his “mentor.” Hoffman has signed a pledge to uphold Beck’s 9/12 Project principles in Congress and lurched to the right to curry favor with the right-wing host.