CANTON – Former Chief Assistant District Attorney David Haggard says he is disappointed the St. Lawrence County Board of Elections did not invalidate his opponent’s petition to a appear on the Democratic ballot line in the race for district attorney.

Haggard has secured the Working Families Party ballot line in the upcoming race for district attorney, but failed to get on the Democratic line after signatures on his petition were invalidated by the elections board.

His opponent James Monroe secured a spot on the Democratic line, but Haggard believes the board of elections should have invalidated his petition. That’s because Haggard claims Monroe collected signatures prior to resigning his position as a Canton judge.

“I am disappointed that the Board of Elections did not consider our objections to the signatures collected for Mr. Monroe’s Democratic petition. The board has stated they do not have jurisdiction to consider the legal challenge to the signatures collected by the Monroe’s campaign,” Haggard said in the email.

“The basis for our challenge is that the New York Court Administrative Rules require a judge to resign prior to running for a non-judicial elected public office,” Haggard said in his statement. “The way a judge is to resign is established under New York’s Town and Public Officers Laws. Apparently, my opponent, though serving as Canton Town Judge, failed to follow either of these laws before he and his campaign collected signatures to run as the Democratic Candidate. In seeking the job of chief public official to enforce the law, Mr. Monroe simply did not obey the law.”

St. Lawrence County Board of Elections Democratic Commissioner Jenny Bacon said the objection made by Haggard was outside of the board’s authority and would need to be addressed by a court.

She said the board received a copy of Monroe’s resignation dated May 1 and petitions weren’t available prior to June 6.

Despite failing to secure the Democratic ballot line, Haggard says he intends to move forward.

“The Board of Elections does not have the final say as to who will be our next District Attorney. That decision is with the voters of St. Lawrence County. They will choose, on Election Day, November 7th, who they trust to protect them and enforce the law. I am confident that their choice will be for a District Attorney who follows the law. Justice and fairness, first and foremost, requires a District Attorney committed to playing by the rules,” he said in his email.

Monroe and Haggard will also face off against Gary Pasqua in November. Pasqua will appear on the Republican, Conservative and Independence ballot lines.