CANTON – St. Lawrence County legislators officially appointed Henry Leader R-Gouverneur as the District 5’s new representative Monday at the organizational board meeting.

Leader serves as attorney for the village and town of Gouverneur and will now represent the towns of DePeyster and Gouverneur on the county legislature.

Travis Dann, R-Gouverneur, who resigned after being elected as Gouverneur Town Justice, previously held the seat previously, but recently resigned.

County law prohibits a legislator from holding another elected position.

As required by county law, the nine remaining Republican members of the legislature were appointed to a vacancy committee to select a replacement for Dann.

County Legislator Joseph Lightfoot said a total of three candidates were interested in the position, including a Democrat.

He said legislators interviewed all three candidates, but unanimously agreed Leader was the best candidate and recommended he be named to fill the vacancy at special meeting held earlier in the week.

The board unanimously appointed Leader to the board Monday.