Now that Democratic incumbent Rep. Bill Owens has announced he is not running for Congress again, momentum could be building for the three Republican office-seekers who are looking for the endorsements of county committees.

Of the three Republicans who have announced their intentions to run for the 21st Congressional District seat, Elise Stefanik of Willsboro, in Essex County, seems to have a head start as those county GOP committees consider endorsements this week.

Stefanik emerged from meeting Saratoga County GOP leaders last week with their nod in favor of her candidacy.

Former St. Lawrence County Emergency Services Director Joseph Gilbert, DeKalb, and Michael F. Ring, Adams Center, are also chasing the Republican endorsement.

The district includes St. Lawrence County and several surrounding counties across the North Country.

Stefanik, who has served in Washington as a Republican party aide and now helps run her family’s plywood business, continues making the rounds of county Republican committees this week in an effort to secure their endorsements for her candidacy for Congress.

She is to meet with Franklin County GOP leaders tonight, in Clinton County Wednesday night, and Washington County leaders Thursday night.

She has also attended GOP committee endorsement meetings in Warren, Fulton and Hamilton counties, but there has been no word on any decisions from them.

Each of the 12 GOP committees included in the district hold candidate endorsement meetings in January. The county committees listen to all candidates introduce themselves and discuss their qualifications to represent the North Country district. The committees ask each candidate questions and vote to endorse a candidate. It is up to each county chair whether to publicly announce their endorsement prior to the Feb. 5 meeting when all county chairs will announce an endorsed candidate for the 21st District.