CANASTOTA (AP) -- Tension is building within the Republican Party over the special election in New York's 23rd Congressional District.

On the right, voters can choose between the Republican nominee, state Assemblywoman Dierdre Scozzafava, and the Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman. They're running against Democrat Bill Owens for the seat in the expansive district, which includes all or part of 11 counties in the state's rural north.

The choice between Hoffman and Scozzafava is dividing Republicans between moderates, who want to find a way to win, in an increasingly Democratic state, and conservatives who say they want the party to return its core values.

Scozzafava has a record of more than a decade in state politics but has been criticized by some conservatives for her support for abortion rights, same-sex marriage and other issues.

Hoffman's supporters call him the "real" Republican, but others in the party say he's a spoiler who could effectively hand the race to Owens.

"I was disenchanted with the infusion of the Conservative Party stepping in at the eleventh hour," said George Joseph, chairman of the Republican Party in Oneida county.

Joseph said he didn't vote for Scozzafava when district leaders made the decision and doesn't think she'll win with Hoffman in the race. But he said he supports her now as the Republican candidate.

"My faith in the system is that as Republicans we choose a candidate, whether we like it or not, we support the endorsed candidate," Joseph said Tuesday. "We can't have a do over."

Scozzafava had many supporters Wednesday night at the annual Madison County Republican Committee dinner who echoed Joseph's sentiments, and many who said they believed she was the best candidate for the job. But not everyone was planning to vote for her.

"Scozzafava's platform, it's not what I believe in, said Rocky DiVeronica, a registered Republican. "I don't believe that's the conservative way."

The 73-year old supervisor in the town of Lenox said he's got a problem with Scozzafava's positions on abortion and same-sex marriage. He said he also is concerned she would vote for more spending in Washington.

Therese Wiley Dancks, the chairwoman of the Madison County Republican Committee said she noticed the tension when she received 3,000 "hate e-mails" from all over the country in one weekend after she and other party leaders selected Scozzafava.

"I don't know that this is a race for the heart and soul of the Republican Party," she said. "I know that in choosing a candidate, I chose a person I felt was best able to represent the district," she added.

Scozzafava said she thinks the "noise about a schism" may not be coming from voters.

"There's two very different races," she said. "There's the race in Washington and then there's discussions on the ground."

The election to fill the remainder of Rep. John McHugh's term is Nov. 3.

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