Gouverneur, NY, Aug 26, 2009 — Congressman John McHugh won't be confirmed as Secretary of the Army until September at the earliest. But that hasn't stopped his hopeful successors from campaigning already. Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava had to put her campaign on hold earlier this month when her father underwent emergency bypass surgery. But he's home recovering now, and Scozzafava is back on the campaign trail. Last weekend, she hit a museum in southern St. Lawrence County, a parade in Oneida County, and a clam bake in Jefferson County. This week, she'll make appearances in Hamilton, Madison, and Oswego counties. Scozzafava is well-known in the western part of the 23rd district. But in the Adirondacks and the Champlain Valley, she lacks the name recognition of her Democratic challenger, Bill Owens. And she's facing a challenge from the right by Conservative party candidate Douglas Hoffman. Scozzafava spoke with David Sommerstein yesterday from her hometown of Gouverneur. She said many of the people she's meeting just want to get to know her.