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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- A Conservative Party candidate is writing to supporters saying he lost a New York race for a U.S. House of Representatives seat because of scheming and needs money in case he lodges a legal challenge.

Earlier this week Doug Hoffman withdrew the election night concession he issued to Democratic Rep. Bill Owens, saying if he had known how close the 23rd Congressional District race was he would have stayed in it. The rural upstate district had long been represented by Republicans.

Hoffman conceded when he learned he was down by 5,300 votes out of more than 136,000 cast. Owens was sworn in to Congress days after the Nov. 3 election.

But after counties started checking the machine count with a count of paper ballots, the state Board of Elections said Hoffman was down by only 3,000 votes with thousands of absentee ballots remaining.

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