Updated at 11:14 p.m.

By a seven-vote margin, St. Lawrence County’s Bill Sheridan Tuesday tentatively captured the Republican primary in the three-way GOP primary for the 116th Assembly District.

The results are unofficial and do not include absentee ballots, so the results could change.

Sheridan, who has served in the past as county legislator, chairman of the St. Lawrence County Republican Party, Hammond judge and Canton village trustee, received 1,650 votes – 957 from St. Lawrence County and 693 from Jefferson County.

Cape Vincent businessman John Byrne, the former Town of Cape Vincent board member who lost narrowly to Democrat Addie Russell two years ago, received 1,643 votes – 695 from St. Lawrence and 948 from Jefferson County. He had been leading most of the night, but a number of St. Lawrence County election districts were the last to report vote totals.

Russ Finley of Lisbon, who ran two years ago with the backing of the Conservative Party, received 683 votes – 393 from St. Lawrence County and 290 from Jefferson County

The “River District” now represented Russell, who lives in Theresa, includes all St. Lawrence County communities along the St. Lawrence River plus Canton, Potsdam, DePeyster, Macomb, and Rossie, as well as much of northern Jefferson County.

Byrne lost narrowly to Russell two years ago when he held the lead until absentee ballots were counted. He already holds the Conservative, Independence and Reform nomination.