St. Lawrence County District 12 legislative race remains undecided
Democrat Patrick Brady leads Republican Marty Blair by four votes in the District 12 St. Lawrence County Legislature race, with additional ballots still to be counted and an automatic recount required.
By Jessica Hale, ClickNNY North Country Desk
The St. Lawrence County Legislature’s District 12 race remains undecided after Democrat Patrick Brady led Republican Marty Blair by four votes in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. Unofficial results show Brady with 1,194 votes and Blair with 1,190.
At least 54 ballots remain uncounted, including 22 Democratic ballots, 11 Republican ballots, 18 blank ballots and two listed as other. St. Lawrence County Elections Commissioner Jennie Bacon said those ballots were expected to be tallied the following week, and additional outstanding ballots may be possible.
New York law requires a full manual recount when a race is decided by 20 votes or fewer, or by 0.5% or less. The four-vote margin meets both standards, so the recount will be automatic after the remaining ballots are counted and the recanvass is completed.
District 12 includes the village of Norwood and parts of the towns of Norfolk and Potsdam. The seat is open because Republican John Burke, a three-term legislator from Norfolk, did not seek reelection. Brady is a Potsdam Town Councilman and retired school administrator. Blair is a longtime Norfolk Town Council member who retired after 37 years at a local cheese and food plant.
Before the election, Republicans held 12 of the Legislature’s 15 seats. Unofficial results put Democrats at four seats and Republicans at 11, leaving the District 12 outcome among the contests affecting the Legislature’s final makeup.
The county Board of Elections has 25 days to count the votes and certify the results. Updates are available from the St. Lawrence County Board of Elections, at 80 State Highway 310 in Canton, by phone at 315-379-2202. The office is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The official county results are posted in the 2026 General Election summary, and the recount requirement is outlined in New York Election Law Section 9-208.
Reported by ClickNNY and reviewed by an editor before publication.
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