Assemblyman Dan Stec speaks Nov. 1, 2019, at the Saranac Lake village offices. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

Seventeen Republican Essex County public officials have endorsed Assemblyman Dan Stec’s candidacy for New York’s 45th Senate District seat, joining public officials in Washington and Warren counties.

The seat will be vacated by Sen. Betty Little, R-Queensbury, a year from now. Stec, also a Republican from Queensbury, said since most of his Assembly district overlaps with Little’s Senate district, he is already well known to local leaders.

Sixteen officials in Washington County and over two dozen Warren County leaders have endorsed him.

Stec noted that he has won election to town, county and state positions 11 times.

“Am I electable?” he said Monday. “I’ve got a good track record so far.”

On Friday, Kevin Beary from Colton announced he would run on the Republican line, the only other person in the party planning on facing Stec in the June primary. Kimberly Davis from Clinton County is running on the Democratic line.

Stec said he had heard of Beary’s campaign but said he doesn’t think Beary has “the experience or exposure.”

“(There are) 130,000 people in my Assembly district that have voted and elected me four times in the state legislature already,” Stec said.

Beary said his campaign “is one way to show people that they don’t necessarily have to have a lot of official endorsements if they want to get involved politically.”

The Essex County officials who endorsed Stec are Clerk Joe Provoncha, Treasurer Michael Diskin, Sheriff David Reynolds and retired Sheriff Richard Cutting.

The municipal officials in Essex County who endorsed Stec are Essex town Supervisor Ron Jackson, Jay town Councilman Tom McDonald, Village of Lake Placid Mayor Craig Randall, Lewis town Supervisor James Monty, Moriah town Supervisor Tom Scozzafava, North Elba town Clerk Laurie Dudley, North Elba town Supervisor-elect Jay Rand, North Hudson town Supervisor Stephanie DeZalia, Schroon town Supervisor Mike Marnell, Ticonderoga town Supervisor Joe Giordano, Wilmington town Supervisor Roy Holzer, Willsboro town Supervisor Shaun Gillilland and Westport town Supervisor Ike Tyler.