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SARANAC LAKE - The second special election in the Tri-Lakes area in less than a year has produced the first Democrat to represent a vast swath of northern New York since before the Civil War.

"Upstate New York hasn't received this much attention since the Miracle on Ice," Democratic and Working Families candidate Bill Owens said in his victory speech in Plattsburgh. "And tonight, with the entire country watching, upstate New Yorkers sent a message."

Meanwhile, his opponent, Lake Placid resident Doug Hoffman, conceded his campaign just after midnight this morning in front of a crowd of about 50 crestfallen supporters and a horde of local and national media and political operatives at the Hotel Saranac. Hoffman stuck to the message of reducing taxes and government spending, his main theme as the Conservative Party's candidate for New York's 23rd District congressional seat.

"Seriously, let's join in helping Bill Owens be our congressman," Hoffman said. "Let's work with him together, but let's make sure that we get the message out there that we can't spend money that we don't have. We can't tax and regulate our people and our businesses and expect to have job growth."

Spirits were high at the Hotel Saranac as the night's returns began to filter in shortly after polls closed at 9 p.m. Members of the crowd such as North Elba town Councilman Bob Miller spoke passionately in favor of Hoffman - both as a person and as a conservative standard-bearer.

"I've never known anyone in 20 years who's had a bad word to say about him," Miller said of the accountant and businessman.

"He's the least likely guy you've ever met to run for Congress. He's a geek, but he's honest, and he's in it for the right reasons. He said, 'There's something bigger than me going on here, and I need to step up to the plate.'"

"Most of all, I hope what I have shown you and the rest of the world is that you don't have to be polished," Hoffman said. "You don't have to be poised, and you don't have to be a rock star to be a politician. All of us can step up to the plate and do it, so let's do it."

As the night went on and a roughly 4,000-vote Owens margin held steady, the crowd became increasingly anxious. As 60, then 70 percent of the vote came in and Owens maintained his lead, a large portion of the crowd drifted sadly out of the hotel, giving sincere embraces to Hoffman family members who wore their grief plainly on their faces.

As of this morning, Owens had 51.5 percent of the vote, compared to 43.7 percent for Hoffman and 4.9 percent for Dede Scozzafava, who was on the Republican and Independence party lines. Scozzafava withdrew from the race Saturday due to declining poll numbers, and turned on her party Sunday, telling her supporters to back Owens. However, the Republican Party decided at that point to back Hoffman.

The district's Republican Party had backed Scozzafava for the seat that longtime Rep. John McHugh vacated to become Army secretary, but the Conservative Party backed Hoffman, whom the Republican leaders had rejected. This divided the Republican Party, with many prominent national conservatives, including former presidential candidate and U.S. senator Fred Thompson and former Alaska governor and vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin backing Hoffman. He also received substantial funding from national conservative groups such as the Club for Growth and right-wing media personalities Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, and the race drew national attention.

Owens won in Hoffman's home Essex County, where Republicans have a substantial voter registration advantage, with 3,718 votes compared to 3,175 for Hoffman and 432 for Scozzafava. Keene town Councilman Paul Martin couldn't vote in the Hoffman-Owens race because, like Hoffman, he lives in the neighboring 20th District, but he found Owens' taking of Hoffman's home county interesting.

"This used to be a tremendous conservative center, this whole North Country area," Martin said. "You couldn't find a Democrat in this whole area. ... And of course, all that's changed. ... It's kind of like what Vermont went through.

"I think there are a lot of thinking people up here, and maybe they figured it was time for a change somewhere along the line."

Hoffman had said he would move to Saranac Lake, most of which is inside the 23rd District, if elected, and even bought a house on Riverside Drive. Lake Placid, where Hoffman lives, is in the 20th District represented by Glens Falls Democrat Scott Murphy, who was chosen in a special election earlier this year.

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Managing Editor Peter Crowley and Staff Writer Mike Lynch contributed to this report.