District 15 race results hold up

A tight race for the Jefferson County Legislature's District 15 seat looked like a blowout, thanks to a poll inspector's election night error. But the announced winner — Democrat James D. St. Croix — remained on top after a hand count of ballots Monday.

Mr. St. Croix defeated Republican Anthony J. Doldo and won election to his eighth term by eight votes, 564-556, according to unofficial results. District 15 encompasses the northwest portion of the city of Watertown.

Jerry O. Eaton, Jefferson County Republican elections commissioner, said an inspector working a consolidated poll site at St. Anthony's Church accidentally reported Mr. Doldo's results in voting district 3 twice, but didn't report the results in district 4.

Mr. Doldo received 82 votes in voting district 3, but 174 in voting district 4. The error gave Mr. St. Croix a false lead on election night of 524-425.

Elections officials discovered the mistake during a recanvass of machine votes Friday.

While the correction left Mr. Doldo with a lead at the ballot box, 537-527, Mr. St. Croix erased his new deficit by adding 37 absentee, emergency and affidavit votes. Mr. Doldo received 19 votes from the same group.

Mr. St. Croix's lead remained unchanged after a bipartisan elections team recounted all 1,120 ballots Monday.

The Democrat said he was not surprised to learn Monday he actually trailed Mr. Doldo on election night.

"I knew Anthony had run a good campaign and worked real hard — harder than I did, mind you," Mr. St. Croix said. "He did a real good job."

Mr. Doldo said: "It was exciting that I actually got close. I wish I would have worked a little harder."

The Republican concluded: "We'll try again in two years."