BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

LAKE PLACID -- Lake Placid businessman Stuart Amoriell will remain on the primary ballot June 23 after the New York State Board of Elections officially certified the petition of signatures submitted. 

Amoriell is running to replace Republican Elise Stefanik in NY-21 after the congresswoman decided to not seek reelection late last year. 

Initial allegations

The lawsuit included allegations of forced signatures, as well as voters claiming witnesses who submitted the petitions had committed perjury. 

Petitioners listed on the complaint include Constance Bosse, Christa Dening and Shelly Gardner. 

The complaint can be viewed here.

"What happened in this race is simple: the Democratic establishment tried to commit fraud against the voters of NY-21, and “they” got caught," Amoriell said in a press release shortly after the initial filing. 

He said the judge "declined to sign their motion for lack of cause," saying the Board of Elections validated signatures on the petition which he said was "more than enough to keep us on the ballot." 

"And buried in the attorney's own filings to the State Board of Elections is the name of Essex County Democratic Party Chair Maggie Bartley — proof that party officials were behind this effort from the start," he said. 

Amoriell said it was not a matter of politics but rather the move was "an attempt to steal a primary."

"It is a betrayal of the democratic process, a betrayal of the voters of this district, and a betrayal of the American value that every citizen deserves a free and fair election — not one decided in a back room by party insiders protecting their handpicked candidate," he wrote. 

Petitions approved

“The Democratic establishment tried to commit fraud against the voters of NY-21, betraying the democratic process and the rule of law,” said Amoriell. 

“They tried to silence the voices of North Country families before a single vote was cast. The courts rejected them. The Board of Elections rejected them. Democracy won today.”

Amoriell laid blame on the campaign of Blake Gendebien, who he says has sought to undercut the democratic process. 

"To the Blake Gendebien campaign: spend less time trying to rig elections and more time developing positions on the issues that matter to families of this district — On June 23, they'll make that judgment themselves," Amoriell said. 

The decision by the Board of Elections comes less than a week after a judge in Albany also threw out a legal challenge to Amoriell's petition, citing a late filing as the reason for the dismissal. 

Amoriell pushes campaign platform

Amoriell, a Lake Placid resident and small business owner, announced his candidacy in December 2025 at John Brown Farm. Since then, his campaign has centered on addressing what he describes as a regional affordability crisis affecting communities across Northern New York.

Recently, Amoriell released a detailed policy roadmap, “Rebuilding the North Country Quality of Life,” which outlines his approach to tackling rising costs and strengthening local economies.

“Turn on the television or open social media and you'll hear politicians of all stripes talking about affordability,” Amoriell said. “But solving the affordability crisis requires more than slogans and sound bites. Rebuilding the quality of life in the North Country demands a comprehensive strategy grounded in the realities of rural life.”

The plan focuses on five key areas: investing in community infrastructure, expanding access to affordable healthcare, addressing housing shortages, supporting job growth and small businesses, and lowering everyday living costs. It also includes what Amoriell calls “an intelligent immigration policy that harnesses the strength that immigrants bring to our economy and communities.”

Amoriell owns The Pickled Pig and has said his experience operating a business in the region has shaped his understanding of workforce challenges and economic pressures facing residents.

“There is far more that unites us as Americans than divides us,” Amoriell has said. “No party or ideology has all the answers, and progress comes when we listen with humility, seek common ground, and respect every voice.”

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