By Emily Cadei, CQ-Roll Call

Doug Hoffman will not contest the results of New York’s 23rd District special election, the state Conservative Party candidate announced in a release Tuesday afternoon.

After “un-conceding” the race last week and stirring talk of an election challenge, Hoffman acknowledged that the final count of absentee ballots, completed Monday, “re-affirm the fact that Bill Owens won.”

Owens, the Democratic nominee, was sworn in as a member of Congress Nov. 6 after Hoffman conceded the hotly contested race on election night.

“Since the morning of November 4th, many of my supporters have asked me to challenge the outcome of this race,” Hoffman said in the release. “Their concerns centered on the veracity of the new voting machines used, for the first time, in the majority of the 11 counties that make up the congressional district. Over the past three weeks, we nearly cut Bill Owens ’ lead in half. Sadly, that is not enough.”

Hoffman said he plans “to stay active in politics,” and is considered a leading contender for the Republican nomination should he decide to run again for the seat in 2010.