Doheny thanks his supporters

Watertown businessman Matt Doheny, who lost a close race to U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, in Tuesday's election, reached out to his supporters today with a message of thanks.

The message is pretty straightforward, although Doheny does reference some "national forces" that ultimately helped Owens win re-election:

"Even though our district was Republican on paper," he writes, "President Obama won this district by a decisive six points. No Republican challenger in the entire nation won in a district that the president carried - and I was no exception. I'm not making excuses. A loss is a loss. And it's time for me to move on."

I've posted the letter in its entirety below. You can also read it at his campaign website.

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The television ads have stopped. The signs are coming down. And the lights from the TV camera have been packed away. But there is one thing I still must do before this campaign officially comes to a close.

I need to thank you.

Thank you to the thousands upon thousands of people who I met on the campaign trail in this congressional district. Your passion for a positive change and a new direction in this country kept me going even in the toughest days.

Thank you to the hundreds of people who volunteered for this campaign. Whether you put a sign in your yard, wrote a letter to the editor of the newspaper, spent hours at a phonebank or going door-to-door, you made a difference. We didn't win - but this race was decidedly close. And that's all thanks to your hard work.

Thank you to the hundreds of people who gave money to this campaign. We cherished every donation - from $2 to $2,500 - because we knew it represented a personal sacrifice. You lived with a little less, so we could continue on. I am truly grateful for your support.

I was honored to take up the cause on behalf of all of us who wanted a smaller government, fewer taxes and a less adversarial relationship between our job creators and our government.

There were unanticipated national forces at work that ultimately helped my opponent. Even though our district was Republican on paper, President Obama won this district by a decisive six points. No Republican challenger in the entire nation won in a district that the president carried - and I was no exception. I'm not making excuses. A loss is a loss. And it's time for me to move on.

Mary and I are looking forward to stepping out of the spotlight and spending some much needed time together as newlyweds. It's time for that long-overdue honeymoon. But we'll return to the north country - and we hope to see you around.

One last time, before we close this chapter, I want to tell you again how much I truly appreciate your encouragement and support these past few years. I simply could not have done it without you. Thank you.

Matt Doheny