GOP lacks hopeful for district attorney

Unless Republicans find a candidate in a hurry, St. Lawrence County District Attorney Nicole M. Duvé will skate to re-election unopposed in November.

"I'll be looking for somebody up until the last day possible. I won't shut the door on that until I'm legally bound to do so," said Nancy K. Martin, county Republican Committee chairwoman.

Deborah J. Pahler, Republican elections commissioner, said district attorney candidates seeking a major party's endorsement must collect at least 1,000 designating petition signatures.

The deadline for filing petitions with the Board of Elections is July 16.

"We've reached out to everybody, and we just haven't found an individual who is willing to invest the time and funds necessary to run a great campaign," Mrs. Martin said.

Ms. Duvé announced last month that she will run for a second term. She won a 2005 race against attorney Gary W. Miles to replace Jerome J. Richards, who was elected County Court judge in 2004. Mr. Miles was acting district attorney following Mr. Richards's departure.

Ms. Duvé is a graduate of SUNY Potsdam and Albany Law School of Union University. She has practiced law since 1991 and has been an assistant district attorney and assistant public defender as well as court attorney for Franklin County Judge Robert G. Main Jr., Malone.

She was Potsdam town justice from November 1998 until 2005, when she resigned to run for district attorney.

Mrs. Martin said any Republican attorney willing to run for the office should contact her immediately at 322-0034.