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Sen. Ritchie endorses Republican candidates for St. Lawrence County board

Posted 10/20/14

Republican state Senator Patty Ritchie has endorsed three county legislature candidates running for seats in St. Lawrence County. She is backing Donald Hooper, Daniel Martin and John Burke. Hooper, a …

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Sen. Ritchie endorses Republican candidates for St. Lawrence County board

Posted

Republican state Senator Patty Ritchie has endorsed three county legislature candidates running for seats in St. Lawrence County.

She is backing Donald Hooper, Daniel Martin and John Burke.

Hooper, a retired certified public accountant, is challenging incumbent Democrat Vernon “Sam” Burns in District 1, which includes most of the city of Ogdensburg.

“Donald Hooper is a Certified Public Accountant and co-founder of the Hooper and VanHouse accounting firm who has devoted more than 30 years to advising North Country businesses, municipal governments, school districts and not for profit agencies on how to reduce costs and develop successful operations,” Ritchie said. "We need someone like Don who has a proven record of bipartisanship on the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority and the St. Lawrence County Workforce Investment Board who can bring common sense and fiscal stability back to county government.”

She also endorsed Daniel Martin, a successful businessman, who is challenging Democrat incumbent Stephen Putman in District 9. It covers the Village of Canton and a slice of the western part of the Town of Canton.

“We need someone like Daniel Martin, a former Deputy Mayor of Canton, who understands local government and small business,” Ritchie said in a prepared statement. “Dan has the time to attend the meetings to represent the people of Canton on the county legislature.”

John Burke, a former mental health administrator who is battling Democrat incumbent Jason Clark for District 12, was received Ritchie's endorsement. The district includes Norfolk, the northern portion of the Town of Potsdam and the Village of Norwood.

“John Burke is a former nurse, Public Employee Federation union steward and experienced administrator who played an important role on the task force that helped save the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center,” Ritchie's statement said. “We need someone like John who understands that county employees and department heads deserve to be treated with respect. He’ll fight to take the politics and bickering out of county government.”

Hooper, Martin and Burke are running on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines in the November election.

“St. Lawrence County needs a change in leadership,” Ritchie said. “Donald Hooper, Daniel Martin and John Burke can bring common sense, fiscal stability and non-partisanship back to our county government.”

Ritchie, a Republican from Heuvelton, represents the 48th Senate District. It covers most of western St. Lawrence County, including Ogdensburg, Canton and Gouverneur, and extends into Jefferson and Oswego counties.