Green Party candidate for Congress Donald Hassig of Colton is asking his supporters to vote tomorrow for Democrat Bill Owens in the 21st Congressional District race.

Acknowledging he has no chance of winning, Hassig says he believes Democratic Rep. William Owens would be a better North Country representative in Washington than Republican challenger Matt Doheny.

“There must be a transition from the representative being a person who favors the wealthy, corporate people to the representative being a person who favors the common people. If Matt Doheny were to be elected to Congress, the district would have a representative who favors the wealthy, corporate people even more than Congressman Owens does,” Hassig said. “Thus, I believe that it is best for William Owens to continue as the member of Congress for this area until I am able to succeed in obtaining that office.”

Believing his support could make the difference in the close contest between the incumbent and the challenger from the GOP, Hassig says “I will vote for Congressman Owens. I am asking my supporters to vote for Congressman Owens. I have called key supporters and requested their assistance in spreading the word on this strategy. I have stated my strategy to insure victory for Congressman Owens to the news media of the 21st Congressional District.”

A Siena College poll released last week had Doheny closing what had been a double-digit lead by Owens to a one-point advantage.

Hassig, a longtime health and political activist and founder of Cancer Action NY, said, “I want these voters to thank Congressman Owens for the good work that he has done to assist Cancer Action NY in the work of using scientific knowledge to prevent cancer in America. I want them to express their support for his office taking further actions to establish cancer prevention based in government provided warnings of avoidable cancer hazards as the central strategy in the war against cancer. I want my voters who voted for Owens to tell him that he must become a strong opponent of the wars of aggression that our country is waging in the Middle East. I want my voters who voted for Owens to tell him that he must become an advocate for a ban on factory farming. With all of this good guidance Congressman Owens will become ever more a representative of the common people.”

During the course of the campaign, Hassig lost the support of the Green Party leadership in New York when, during a candidates’ night, he made what were viewed as uncomplimentary statements about immigrant workers.