Republican Matt Doheny is continuing to strengthen his bulwark of inevitability among the rank-and-file GOP and Conservative leaders in the 23rd Congressional District, with the endorsement today of several Lewis County figures.

Lewis County's GOP committee does not itself endorse candidates, but Mr. Doheny was endorsed by the most high-profile politicos in the county.

According to the campaign, they include: Rocky Fawcett, county GOP committee chairman; Doug Hanno, Lewis County clerk; Jack Bush, chairman of the county Legislature; Rick Lucas, county legislator and Sam Villanti, past county GOP committee chairman.

None of this comes as a huge surprise, but it makes it all the more difficult for new candidates to join the race. It also means that Kellie Greene, also vying for the Republican nomination to take on Democratic Rep. Bill Owens in November, will have to get the ballot petitions through her own organization, without the help of any constituted committees.

Ms. Greene has an impassioned core of conservative supporters who won't lack for effort.

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