Tedra Cobb is congratulated by Walt and Sara Davidson at the Best Western hotel in Canton. (Photo — Christopher Lenney, Watertown Daily Times)

Tedra Cobb swept the North Country’s congressional primary Tuesday night with 56 percent of voters supporting her to represent Democrats in November’s general election.

The unofficial count, without absentee ballots, shows former cable television host Dylan Ratigan of Lake Placid coming in a distant second with 11.91 percent of the votes, followed closely by Keene native Katie Wilson with 11.68 percent, then Emily Martz of Saranac Lake with 10.37 and Patrick Nelson of Stillwater with 9.12 percent.

Cobb, a former two-term legislator for St. Lawrence County, was the only one of the four with experience running for or holding office.

Celebrating her win in her hometown of Canton, Cobb immediately turned her focus to November, specifically on her opponent, incumbent U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro.

“Elise Stefanik is a Washington insider who visits our district occasionally,” Cobb said. “She votes to better the interests of her friends in Washington over the interests of her constituents.”

“Our opponent emerges from a weak, divisive Democratic primary as the out of touch, liberal, hyper-partisan, tax-and-spend candidate of the general election,” Stefanik’s campaign Communications Director Lenny Alcivar wrote in a press release.

Voter turnout was less than 16 percent. Unofficially, New York’s Board of Elections reported that 18,475 of the 117,878 active enrolled Democrats in New York’s 21st Congressional District voted in the the primary, with 10,347 voting for Cobb.

The last federal congressional primary in this district was a Republican one in June 2014, in which Stefanik won 61 percent of roughly 25,000 votes to beat Matt Doheny in her first campaign.

Shortly before polls closed Tuesday evening at Bitters & Bones, a bar in Saranac Lake, Cobb’s former campaign co-director Andrea Audi relaxed with campaign volunteers after their last day of calling and knocking on doors. (Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly said Audi was Tedra Cobb’s former campaign director and that she was celebrating with campaign staff.)

She said she had not planned on supporting a candidate so closely when she went to see them all speak last year, but was so impressed by Cobb’s morals and work ethic that she decided to become fully involved. While she left the director position several months ago to focus on her business as the campaign grew, she said she has remains a close friend and adviser to Cobb.

Audi said she does not have “heroes” but found a deep respect for Cobb, which she said inspires her to be a better person.

“She always takes the high road,” Audi said.

Cobb, in her victory speech, said, “Tonight is a celebration of all you accomplished. We did it. Enjoy tonight, and maybe tomorrow, and then I need your help again.

“Now I need everyone’s help to finish the goal we all set out to accomplish — defeating Elise Stefanik.”

The general election will be held Nov. 6.

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The Watertown Daily Times contributed to this report from Cobb’s victory party in Canton.

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TOTAL RESULTS (unofficial)

CANDIDATE — PERCENTAGE — VOTES

Tedra L. Cobb — 56.01% — 10,347

Dylan Ratigan — 11.91% — 2,200

Katie Wilson — 11.68% — 2,157

Emily Martz — 10.37% — 1,915

Patrick F. Nelson — 9.12% — 1,685