A tea party organization and a local tea party figure have endorsed Republican Matthew A. Doheny in his bid to take on Rep. William L. Owens, D-Plattsburgh, in November.

“We need a congressman who understands that limited government, less spending and lower taxes are the key to our survival and success as a nation,” Upstate New York Tea Party Chairman Mark L. Barie said in a news release Friday morning. “Matt Doheny knows this, and that is why Republicans, conservatives and independents have decided to support his candidacy.”

Mr. Doheny also picked up the endorsement of Charles F. Ruggiero Jr., the chairman of the Jefferson Tea Party. The organization itself doesn’t endorse candidates, but Mr. Ruggiero gave Mr. Doheny his personal imprimatur.

“During my frequent personal contact with Matt, I have developed a friendship based on mutual respect and shared values,” Mr. Ruggiero, a Republican who ran for Jefferson County sheriff in 2010, said in a letter.

In Mr. Doheny’s 2010 run, UNYTEA endorsed Douglas L. Hoffman, a Lake Placid accountant. But UNYTEA switched to Mr. Doheny after he won the Republican primary.

UNYTEA’s steering committee swayed the vote toward Mr. Doheny, a Watertown resident, but the organization’s leaders have been warning fellow conservatives against splitting the right again all year.

Also running is Kellie Greene, a Sackets Harbor resident who is counting on grass- roots support to vault her over the finish line.

“I appreciate the support from these organizations, and I look forward to working with all those who are passionate about bringing fiscal sanity back to Washington,” Mr. Doheny said.

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