CANTON — Old political opponents joined forces Thursday when Douglas L. Hoffman announced his “unqualified endorsement” of Matthew A. Doheny in the latter’s campaign for Congress.

“We’re very excited. Doug has been a tremendous rival and we’ve grown to become friends,” Mr. Doheny said. “To have his support and to know that when we go into the November election where I have the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines, I think it’s going to provide a clear choice.”

Mr. Doheny will challenge Rep. William L. Owens, D-Plattsburgh, in November in a rematch of their 2010 congressional face-off that was decided by approximately 2,000 votes with Mr. Hoffman on the ballot as the Conservative Party nominee. Mr. Doheny visited the Best Western University Inn in Canton during a two-day, 10-stop tour of the new 21st District.

Mr. Hoffman took the stage first and spoke about why he initially chose to run for office in the 2009 special election and why he’s now supporting Mr. Doheny.

“The future of our country is too important to remain silent. Bill Owens is mortgaging my children’s and grandchildren’s future and he must be stopped,” Mr. Hoffman said. “And Matt Doheny is exactly the type of guy who can stop him and bring a little fiscal sanity back to Congress and our country.”

The event’s question-and-answer portion turned quickly to the 5-4 Supreme Court affirmation of the Affordable Care act, released Thursday morning. Mr. Doheny used the announcement to take a stab at his November opponent.

“The Supreme Court told us that Obamacare is one of the biggest tax hikes in history and, by extension, Bill Owens’s very first vote in Congress was to raise taxes on the American people,” Mr. Doheny said. “It was a tough decision, a tough decision for liberty, but it only reemphasizes the central point — that I’m in favor of repealing and replacing Obamacare.”

Mr. Doheny said his background as a businessman — in 2010 he created North Country Capital LLC, which finances capital-starved entrepreneurs — shapes his health care policy.

“What are those steps and measures that aren’t going to kill the economy?” Mr. Doheny said. “Right now, the economy is not growing very much. … As a businessperson, let’s not try to fix everything that we possibly can fix. Let’s take the individual pieces.”

Mr. Doheny’s experience in business heavily contributed to Mr. Hoffman’s decision to endorse his former opponent.

“Unless we get together and fight this fight, it’s not going to happen. There’s a clear choice. We can have people in office that are going to tax us more, regulate us more and kill our businesses, or we can have business people in office that are going to prosper businesses and let them grow and create jobs,” Mr. Hoffman said.

Mr. Doheny invited the public to compare his views with Mr. Owens’s then predicted a November victory.

“If we have people saying, ‘Which direction for the north country, which direction should this 21st Congressional District take and which direction should our country take?’ then make the clear comparisons now,” Doheny said. “I’m humbled by the will of the voters that have given me the opportunity to provide a clear contrast, a stark alternative to our current congressman. Guess what? On Nov. 6, we’re going to be successful.”

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