GOP NY lawmaker who pulled out of US House special election resigns from leadership role

GOP ex-candidate leaves NY Assembly leadership job

ALBANY, N.Y. — A Republican upstate New York lawmaker has resigned from her state legislative leadership position more than a week after pulling out of a special congressional election and endorsing a Democrat in the race.

Republican Assembly minority leader Brian Kolb says Dierdre Scozzafava (skoh-zuh-FAH’-vuh) offered her resignation from the Assembly minority whip post on Monday.

Democrat Bill Owens defeated Conservative Doug Hoffman and Scozzafava in the heavily Republican, rural 23rd Congressional District. Scozzafava abruptly withdrew the weekend before the Nov. 3 election and supported Owens over Hoffman.

Kolb says he’ll select someone to replace Scozzafava in leading Assembly floor debates in the coming weeks.

Scozzafava didn’t immediately return a call for comment.