(Enterprise photos)

MALONE — A decision to decide who will fill a ten-year term on the Franklin County Court bench will be decided on Monday, Nov. 15, when absentee ballots are opened.

Two local attorneys, Craig Carriero, a Democrat, and Elizabeth Crawford, a Republican, ran to fill a seat on the Franklin County Court, a seat which comes with a 10-year term, and was opened up by the pending retirement of Judge Robert G. Main, Jr.

After the race’s unofficial results were tallied, Tuesday night, only two dozen votes separated the two candidates.

Carriero tallied 3,842 votes or 49.78% of ballots, while Crawford netted 24 more ballots, with 3,866 votes, a margin of 50.09%.

According to Carriero, there are 500 absentee ballots yet to be counted, with these votes set to be tallied on Monday, Nov. 15.

Both candidates said they believed this election would be close from its outset this summer.

“We knew from the beginning it was going to be close, with two candidates with so much experience,” Crawford said.

Carriero echoed his opponent.

“I think from the beginning we expected to be here, with such a close race,” Carriero said.

Carriero, Franklin County’s district, ran as a Democrat, and defeated Thomas Soucia, a county public defender, to receive the party’s nomination in June.

Carriero said he enjoyed spending time on both his primary and general election campaigns.

“The amount of people I met was great,” Carriero said, “I really approached this, from the beginning, as a door-to-door campaign, and really enjoyed it.”

Crawford a principal court attorney ran as a Republican and defeated Peter Dumas, a private practice attorney, in a June primary.

Crawford said she enjoyed her time campaigning.

“I really enjoyed engaging with people, going around the county, talking with them and hearing their concerns,” Crawford said.

Carriero, of Malone, was elected as Franklin County District Attorney in 2015, after working as an assistant district attorney in Franklin County for 11 years.

According to Carriero, during his 17 years with the district attorney’s office, he handled cases ranging from simple misdemeanors to violent crimes such as burglaries, sexual assaults, and murders, gaining extensive experience in multiple aspects of criminal law.

Crawford, of Chateaugay, started her 17 year legal career as an assistant district attorney for the Franklin County District Attorney’s Office, working as an assistant district attorney from 2004 to 2014.

Working as an assistant district attorney Crawford said she became well versed in criminal law and the rules of evidence, maintaining the mindset of doing what is fair, right and just for each case from traffic tickets to homicides.

Crawford also served on the county Northern Border and Narcotics Task Force.

In 2015, Crawford was appointed Court Attorney for the United Court System and promoted to Principal Court Attorney in 2017, where she works directly with judges.