To the Editor:

I want to thank all the Republican voters of St. Lawrence County who took the time to come out and vote in the primary.

I particularly want to thank my opponent, Bob Santamoor, who ran a positive campaign about the issues facing St. Lawrence County.

Over the past five months I have had the rare privilege of criss-crossing this county from Cranberry Lake to Massena talking to the hard working people and families who make up our North Country region. I want to thank them for welcoming me into their homes, their businesses and their community celebrations.

Running for office for the first time has been an eye opening experience for me. It was very humbling for me to see so many people put their trust in me by putting up signs, writing letters and voting for me.

I want to thank them, my parents, my wife, my children and the rest of my family for all they did to help make this victory possible.

St. Lawrence County is facing a fiscal crisis.

For the past two decades, local governments and businesses have hired me to help them identify financial mismanagement and help them correct it.

If I am elected in November, I will put those skills to work to protect the hard earned money of the taxpayers of St. Lawrence County.

Derek VanHouse

Ogdensburg