The Doheny For Congress campaign has submitted 8,357 signatures to qualify Matt Doheny for the Republican, Conservative and Independence parties’ lines in the upcoming 21st Congressional District election.

That tally includes:

• 6,621 signatures from registered Republicans; the campaign needed 938 to qualify

• 1,375 signatures from registered Independence Party members; the campaign needed 852 to qualify

• 361 signatures from registered Conservatives; the campaign needed 196 to qualify

“With the petition period being one week shorter and in the spring this year, we didn’t know what kind of numbers to expect,” said Doheny, a Watertown venture capitalist. “Our friends in the Republican, Conservative and Independence parties circulated petitions early and circulated them often. I am thrilled at the response they received from their colleagues and neighbors and I thank them for their hard work.”

The campaign believes Doheny’s 6,6621 signatures on the Republican line alone demonstrated strong support, since it gathered more than twice as petition signatures as his Democratic opponent, Bill Owens of Plattsburgh, who submitted 2,723 signatures.

Doheny said that amounts to “a clear message. They want one candidate who unites the Republican, Conservative and Independence parties. And they are looking forward to electing a true independent-minded candidate who will fight to keep taxes low, cut spending and reduce burdensome regulations.”