Derek Doty (Photo provided)

LAKE PLACID — Derek Doty is North Elba’s new town supervisor.

While the results won’t be certified until around Thanksgiving, according to Essex County Deputy Republican Commissioner Shona Doyle, the Essex County Board of Elections reported a 58-vote lead for Doty on Monday after absentee and affidavit ballots were counted. Including votes cast on Election Day, Doty, who ran on the Democratic line, garnered a total of 851 votes to Republican candidate Rand’s 793 votes.

“It’s a good day,” Doty said Monday.

Doty said he was at the Essex County Board of Elections earlier that day as staff tallied the absentee votes for the North Elba race. He said that as he left the board of elections office, staff were congratulating him.

“I’d say that’s a good thing,” he said.

The race was too close to call on Election Day, when Doty had a 70-vote lead over incumbent Jay Rand. The board of elections sent out 134 absentee ballots to voters in North Elba, which could have been enough to sway the race back in Rand’s favor. Of those ballots, 92 absentees were returned in time to count toward the final tally. Doty said Rand gained some ground back with absentee votes, but not enough to warrant a recount.

Doty said the election has been “tough” because he’s worked with Rand “side by side for years and years.” Rand said that he expected a Doty win as the final results came in.

“I offer my congratulations for Derek and will do what I can to make it a smooth transition,” Rand said.

Rand said he feels good about the hard work he did as supervisor over the last two years. He said he “enjoyed everything,” despite COVID-19 throwing a “monkey wrench” into some of his term. After his term ends in December, Rand said he has plans to continue coaching Alpine and Nordic skiing part-time with the New York Educational Ski Foundation, and he’s looking forward to a little more ski time.

As for Doty, he said he’s headed to the woods this week to celebrate his victory.

“I’m gonna be so deep in the woods that even a cellphone won’t work,” he said.

Doty said on election night that if he won, it could make history in the town.

“There has never been a Democratic supervisor in the history of North Elba, much less a supervisor from the Saranac Lake end — it’s never happened,” he said.