LAKE PLACID — North Elba Town Justice Dean Dietrich said he’ll keep serving in that position until the town board can find a replacement.

There were no listed candidates on the ballot for North Elba town justice this year, though the longtime incumbent received significantly more write-in votes than anyone else.

Dietrich garnered 59 of the 97 write-in votes cast for town justice, or 60.8%, according to results from the Essex County Board of Elections. There were seven write-in votes for Nick Moran, four for Nick McKie and 27 votes for various other write-in candidates. Most voters did not make any selection in the race, with 2,088 blank ballots. There was one void ballot.

The election results are complete but still considered unofficial as of press time Sunday evening, with Essex County set to certify results for all of its 2025 general election races today, according to Democratic Deputy Commissioner Jen Fifield.

Dietrich said he did not seek reelection because he did not want to commit to serving a full four-year term. Town justices are excluded from the new state law that shifts most local offices to even-numbered election years. That means this term would have lasted through 2029.

Still having received the most votes, Dietrich said he’ll continue serving until the town board can find a replacement. He said anyone who is interested in the position could reach out to the town board. With the election results, Dietrich is set to begin his 22nd year as town justice. He said he’s ready to retire, but with no declared candidates in this past election, he thought it was more responsible to stay on in the interim until the town board can appoint someone.

“They’ll be canvassing,” he said. “If anybody wants to become the town justice, please let the town board know. That way, somebody will be vetted a little bit more than just having a few people write in. I’ll hang in there until that happens — hopefully sooner rather than later.”

He said North Elba is one of the busier town courts in Essex County by volume. It has two justices, serving staggered four-year terms. The other position is held by Sean Donovan, who was elected last year. Dietrich said it’s “critical” to have two justices serving, so that someone is always on call, and one can fill in for the other if need be.

Dietrich found that the position wasn’t especially time-consuming, but it does require a lot of schedule flexibility, with justices needing to oversee arraignments that often occur at odd hours.

“It’s got to be at the right time in your life,” he said. “It doesn’t take a whole lot of time, but it is inconvenient. You have to be available.”

With more than two decades on the bench, Dietrich said he’s amazed at how much it’s taught him about himself and the community. It’s not an easy position, but it’s one he’s found rewarding.

“First of all, you have to be fair-minded,” he said. “You can’t go in with a grudge. You have to be willing to understand that process is the key.”

Dietrich was a teacher for about 30 years before being elected town justice. He said that allowed him to become well acquainted with the community and its people, something he said was “a big plus” when it comes to understanding people’s challenges and where they’re coming from.

Under state law, the town board can appoint someone until the position can be filled in the next general election relative to the resignation.