ALBANY (AP) -- Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, one of the few high profile Republicans to support the GOP nominee for a New York House seat, says he's deeply upset that the candidate is backing her Democratic opponent over the conservative after pulling out of the race.

Republican state Assemblywoman Dierdre Scozzafava is endorsing Democrat Bill Owens - not conservative Doug Hoffman for New York's 23rd District seat.

The race pitted conservative and moderate wings of the Republican Party against each other. Hoffman painted Scozzafava as too liberal, specifically noting her support of abortion rights and same-sex marriage. He told voters in the historically GOP district that she's not the kind of Republican they want representing their interests in a Democrat-led Congress.

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