Doug Hoffman, former congressional candidate for the 23rd District seat, says he will decide today whether to file a challenge to his defeat by Democrat Bill Owens.

The Watertown Daily Times quotes the Conservative Party candidate as saying on Friday that he is considering challenging the election results, even though absentee ballot counts showed he could not win.

The story says Rep. Owens was leading Hoffman by nearly 3,400 votes as of Friday evening, according to unofficial results with 813 absentee ballots still uncounted.