By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

In a stunning development Saturday, the Republican candidate in New York's 23rd Congressional District race dropped out. It's a huge victory for ultra-conservatives.

Chief among them: Sarah Palin, the former GOP governor of Alaska who has thrown her support behind Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.

Palin and other ultra-conservatives had harshly criticized the Republican candidate, Dede Scozzafava, for her allegedly too-liberal views on a number of issues.

Partly as a result of Palin's criticisms, Scozzafava recently had fallen behind in the polls in a three-way race.

Hoffman is also supported by many of the Tea Party advocates who have been championing lower spending and less government involvement in the private sector.

The Democrat in the race is Bill Owens.

But with Scozzafava's decision Saturday, Hoffman is widely expected to win a district that has been a GOP stronghold for more than 100 years.