Tedra Cobb is congratulated Tuesday night, June 26, 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, June 26, 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.”

Katie Wilson smiles after voting in the Democratic primary Tuesday, June 26 at the Keene Town Hall. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

“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 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.

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.”

Despite not getting the result she wanted, Katie Wilson was pleased with her efforts in the Democratic primary for New York’s 21st Congressional District.

“I’m so blown away. I honestly can’t even put into words my appreciation for the amount of people that have gone above and beyond in the midst of busy lives and kids and bills and the whole nine yards that have come out to help us,” Wilson said Tuesday night at Plattsburgh Brewing Company.

At the North Elba Town Hall after 10 p.m., Dylan Ratigan – the cable television journalist turned political candidate originally from Saranac Lake – was visibly disappointed with the outcome but focused on what the future holds.

“I’ve never wanted more in my life to reform our politics and drive toward solutions,” Ratigan said. “This was one possible way to go around doing that, but it doesn’t change my life path.”

Forgoing the typical election night event, Ratigan stayed home in Lake Placid with friends and family. He said he wanted a personal gathering because, “It’s a personal experience, you know. I’ve never done this before.”

The general election will be held Nov. 6.

(The Watertown Daily Times contributed to this report from Cobb’s victory party in Canton. Joe LoTemplio of the Press-Republican contributed to this report from Wilson’s party.)