By Emily Cadei, CQ-Roll Call

Democrat Bill Owens scored an endorsement from the labor-backed Working Families Party in the race to succeed former Republican Rep. John M. McHugh in upstate New York.

The nod means Owens will be running on the WFP line as well as the Democratic party line in the special election to be held Nov. 3.

The endorsement could be a win-win for Owens and Republican rival Dede Scozzafava.

It will provide a boost for Owens, particularly from an organizational standpoint — and the get-out-the vote operations that labor excels at will be important in a low-turnout special election.

Owens also got a big endorsements from the 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East last month.

His WFP nod, however, also could ultimately benefit Scozzafava, by distancing herself from what tends to be a major Democratic constituency. Conservatives have been hammering Scozzafava for her moderate record in the New York Assembly and point to past endorsements by the WFP as evidence of her liberal agenda.

Scozzafava did not seek the party’s endorsement. She is already running on the Republican and state Independence Party lines.

She has, however, rounded up a series of other labor endorsements in the past few days, including the Region 9 United Auto Workers; Plattsburgh-Saranac Lake Building and Construction Trades Council; and Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Central Trades and Labor Council.

Scozzafava’s husband, Ron McDougall, is active in the upstate labor movement and Scozzafava has had a friendly relationship with labor during her decade in the Assembly.

Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman is also vying for the seat, but is not expected to win labor backing.