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St. Lawrence County treasurer, Assembly, town justice contenders face off in GOP primary today

Posted 9/13/16

Updated 10:26 a.m. Sept. 13, 2016 Republicans vote today to select their candidates to run in the general election Tuesday, Nov. 8 for St. Lawrence County treasurer, two state Assembly seats, and …

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St. Lawrence County treasurer, Assembly, town justice contenders face off in GOP primary today

Posted

Updated 10:26 a.m. Sept. 13, 2016

Republicans vote today to select their candidates to run in the general election Tuesday, Nov. 8 for St. Lawrence County treasurer, two state Assembly seats, and Parishville town justice.

Also to be chosen local primaries in DePeyster, Morristown and Parishville.

The polls will be open for the primary from noon to 9 p.m. Incorrect hours were run in an earlier story.

Two men, Derek VanHouse of Ogdensburg and Robert Santamoor of Morley, are running for the GOP ballot line for county treasurer and the opportunity to serve out the remainder of the term of former treasurer Kevin Felt. The Democrats have nominated Deputy Treasurer Renee Cole.

No Democratic Party nominations are contested in St. Lawrence County, so no primaries for the party will be held.

The most watched will be the race among three Republicans to challenge incumbent Democrat Addie Russell of Theresa in the 116th Assembly District, which in St. Lawrence County includes all the townships along the St. Lawrence River plus Canton, Potsdam, DePeyster, Macomb, and Rossie.

Russell’s three Republican challengers include Cape Vincent businessman John Byrne, who lost narrowly to Russell two years ago when he held the lead until absentee ballots were counted. Byrne already holds the Conservative, Independence and Reform party endorsements. Also seeking the GOP ballot line are Russ Finley of Lisbon, who ran two years ago with the backing of the Conservative Party, and former Hammond judge Bill Sheridan.

In the 118th Assembly District, which includes the St. Lawrence County towns of Clare, Clifton, Colton, Fine, Madrid, Norfolk, Parishville, Pierrepont and Stockholm, incumbent Marc Butler of Newport in Herkimer County is facing a challenge from fellow Republican Patrick Vincent, a businessman from of Cold Brook, also in Herkimer County.

In the Town of Parishville, incumbent Republican Lester Gale, Jr. faces Douglas A. Emlin for the GOP ballot line for town justice in November.

In the Town of Morristown, incumbent Frank L. Putnam is challenged by Cyril H. Aldrich, Jr. for the Republican ballot line in the supoervisor's contest, and current councilor David S. VanArnam is facing Harvey H. Bender for the GOP line to fill three years of an unexpired council member term.

In Depeyster, two men are vying to be superintendent of highways, Craig L. Collier and Robert Chambers, both of whom are seeking the Republican and Independence Party lines on the November ballet.

Only registered party members can vote in in party primaries.

The county Board of Elections has one centrally located polling place per township for the primary. That is not as many as for a general election, because many fewer voters typically participate in primaries, the board has said.

To find your polling place, visit http://www.co.st-lawrence.ny.us/data/files/departments/BoardofElections/... or call 315-379-2202.

Meanwhile, state Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced that his office has created a Hotline to help troubleshoot and resolve a range of issues and barriers encountered by voters at the polls for the primary.

He urges voters experiencing problems or issues at the polls to call the office’s hotline at 800-771-7755 or email civil.rights@ag.ny.gov at any time on Tuesday between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. Phones will be answered by attorneys and staff in the office's Civil Rights Bureau.