It appears that accountant Doug Hoffman, who was passed over by local GOP leaders for the Republican nomination in the upcoming 23rd district special election, will be on the ballot anyway after earning the backing of the small but influential New York Conservative Party.

Hoffman would need authorization from the Conservative Party’s state executive committee to run as a conservative since he is a registered Republican.

“I think he’s very much on track for getting our endorsement— and running as the Conservative Party candidate, state party Chairman Mike Long said on Monday.

Hoffman, a North County native and practicing CPA for more than three decades, announced last week that he would seek the Conservative Party endorsement following the district Republicans’ selection of state Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava as their nominee. Scozzafava is a political moderate with close ties to organized labor.

Long said that he believes the local Republican Party was wrong in picking Scozzafava over Hoffman and that, by running Hoffman, the Conservative Party will give voters the chance to pick a candidate who holds true to Republican ideals and principles.

“I want to win this seat; I don’t want to give it away to the Democrats,— Long said. “By them running Dede, who votes most of the time with Democrats in Albany, I think they are … making it more difficult. … I think [Hoffman] can win this in a three-way race but it would make life a lot easier if the Republicans would rethink who they are supporting and back a real bona fide Republican.—

Rep. John McHugh (R) has been nominated to be secretary of the Army and is expected to be confirmed. Once he is confirmed, the date for the special election will be set. Democrats are slated to pick their nominee Monday.