PLATTSBURGH — The failure of Republican Dierdre "Dede" Scozzafava's campaign for Congress is hitting Janet Duprey hard.

Duprey, the assemblywoman from Peru who is also the chairwoman of the Clinton County Republican Party, was instrumental in the selection of Scozzafava as the Republican candidate.

"I would still stand behind her as the best candidate, and the candidate with the best record and the best message," a disappointed Duprey said Saturday.

Scozzafava dropped out of the race Saturday morning after learning that she had fallen to a distant third in the latest Siena Research Institute poll.

Democrat William Owens, a Plattsburgh attorney, led with 36 percent of the vote followed closely by Conservative Party candidate Douglas Hoffman, an accounting firm manager from Lake Placid, with 35 percent.

Scozzafava had only 20 percent of the vote.

Her campaign had been under fire from many in the Republican Party since she was selected. Many viewed her, with her support for gay marriage and abortion, as far too liberal to be the Republican candidate.

Hoffman, who sought the Republican nod, emerged as the conservative candidate shortly after Scozzafava was selected from eight other candidates in July by the Republican Party chairs of the 11 counties in the district.

Many blamed Duprey, her assembly colleague, for engineering the selection of Scozzafava.

Duprey defended the selection saying every candidate had a fair chance.

"The process was open. We had four meetings and everyone had their vote, and it was close. I don't see how it could have been more open," she said.

"But Dede had the most support, and I think she was the best candidate."

With conservative political groups from Washington throwing big amounts of money at Hoffman, he has been able to climb steadily in the polls.

Scozzafava said last week that she has been outspent in the race 15 to 1, and with fewer resources, she dropped sharply.

"It's all about the money," Duprey said.

"There really were no debates until the end, and all people saw were 30-second sound bites."

Duprey said the campaign waged against Scozzafava was vicious.

"She is a good person and we ought to be able to have an election where it is about the issues, but instead we get these vicious attacks and it makes me sick to my stomach," Duprey said.

Duprey said she is not sure how the events of Saturday will affect the Republican Party in the future.

"We will have to look back and analyze it. I really can't answer that right now," she said.

"But the party will survive. I am just disappointed for Dede because not only was she the best candidate, she is my friend."

E-mail Joe LoTemplio at: jlotemplio@pressrepublican.com