2011 New York's 26th congressional district special election

According to many observers, the campaign "turned into a referendum on the Republican plan to overhaul Medicare" because of Corwin's support for the Republican alternative budget proposed by Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), a proposal that would replace government-provided health care with partial subsidies for the cost of private medical insurance.[9] Hochul criticized the Ryan plan and supports the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which Corwin wants to repeal completely.[10] Davis opposed both the Ryan plan and the Affordable Care Act.

The local leaders of the Tea Party movement had divided their support between Republican nominee Jane Corwin, independent petitioner Jack Davis, and potential candidate David Bellavia. Jim Ostrowski, the leader of a libertarian-leaning tea party group (the Tea Party Coalition of WNY), endorsed Davis, criticizing Corwin for her lack of outreach to the Tea Party groups, and arranged to put the name "Tea" on Davis's ballot line.[11][12] TEA New York, a more mainstream Republican-leaning tea party group, was divided between Bellavia and Corwin, with several of its members backing Bellavia's ultimately unsuccessful petition campaign and others (the best known being gubernatorial nominee Carl Paladino) backing Corwin from the beginning.[13][14] After Bellavia failed to get onto the ballot, TEA New York endorsed Corwin. TEA New York refused to consider cross-endorsing Davis, mainly because of the use of the name "Tea Party" on Davis's ballot line (a tactic the Tea Party Coalition also used in the 2010 elections), to which he and numerous other Tea Party groups objected.[15] TEA New York, the Tea Party Express and numerous other Tea Party groups campaigned on behalf of Corwin and attempted to portray Davis as a "fake Tea Party" candidate.

Erie County Clerk Kathy Hochul was unanimously selected by local Democratic Chairs to be their special election candidate on March 19, 2011.[16]

Other candidates interviewing for the party nomination included[17] Jane Bauch, former Democratic Party Chair of the town of Murray;[18] Mark Manna, Amherst town councilor; Martin Minemeier, a corrections officer from Henrietta;[18] Satish Mohan, former Amherst town supervisor; Robert Stall, a geriatrician from Tonawanda;[19] and Diana Voit, a resident of Erie County.

Assemblywoman Jane Corwin was selected as the party nominee the evening of February 21, 2011.[20] Corwin had been considered the likely Republican candidate almost immediately following Lee's resignation.[21][22]

Other candidates interviewing for the party nomination included[23] David Bellavia , author and Iraq war soldier; Jack Davis, Amherst businessman and three-time Democratic candidate for the same seat;[24] Brian Napoli, Ridgeway town supervisor; Peter O'Brien, U.S. Navy veteran; Barry Weinstein, Amherst town supervisor and former county legislator; Kathy Weppner, talk show host on WBEN; and Gary Wheat, former Avon council member.

The Conservative Party of New York State endorsed Republican nominee Jane Corwin on March 14.[25][26] Bellavia and Davis also sought the line.

The Working Families Party endorsed Democratic nominee Kathy Hochul on March 20.[27]

The Independence Party of New York endorsed Republican nominee Jane Corwin on March 14.[26]

The Green Party of New York, in the first election since 2002 in which the party has automatic ballot access, nominated Ian Murphy, editor of the Buffalo Beast, as its candidate on March 23, 2011.[28][29]

On March 21, Jack Davis, who had also been rejected in his bid for the Republican, Conservative and Democratic endorsements, filed approximately 12,000 petition signatures, more than triple the necessary number, and was on the ballot on the Tea Party line.[30]

Jim Ostrowski, the unofficial proprietor of the "Tea Party" line, later stated after the election that he believed perennial candidate, and later New York State Assemblyman, David DiPietro was the best candidate for the seat, but did not believe DiPietro had the resources to run an effective campaign and had "almost given up" on running a serious candidacy until aligning himself with Davis.[31]

David Bellavia, who had tried but failed to get party endorsement attempted to launch an independent campaign,[32] submitting approximately 3,600 signatures under the "Federalist Party" line. His petitions were challenged by a local resident.[33][34] In addition, Bellavia had failed to submit an affidavit formally accepting the nomination.[35] Consequentially, Bellavia did not receive a ballot position, and the petition challenge was rendered moot.[36][37] Bellavia eventually endorsed Davis for the seat.[38]