CANTON -- Tonya Boone and Tedra Cobb, Democrat hopefuls for the 21st Congressional District seat in the fall election, will have their nominating petitions circulated to town party chairpersons.

Boone and Cobb were chosen by the St. Lawrence County Democratic Committee over the other seven candidates who intend to run.

The St. Lawrence County Democratic Committee met Thursday, Feb. 15 to distribute nominating petitions for the 2018 federal election cycle and filling vacancies within the committee.

The committee invited the nine declared Democratic candidates for the 21st Congressional District to address the committee and garner support for the petition process, said a committee press release.

Seven of the candidates attended the meeting. Ronald Kim and Katie Wilson had previously scheduled engagements, the committee said.

"In order to streamline the petition process, the committee voted to chose two candidates whose petitions would be included in the petition packets distributed to town party chairpersons," committee officials said in an email. "After allowing each candidate to address the full committee and answer questions from the floor, committee members cast a vote for whose petitions would be included in the packets."

Each of the candidates "spoke eloquently regarding the needs of all constituents within the 21st Congressional District and the urgent need to unseat incumbent Congresswoman Elise Stefanik," said press release from the committee.

"All of the candidates pledged their support and collaboration with the eventual nominee," the email said.

Boone and Cobb received the most votes and their petitions were included in the packets. Don Boyajian, Patrick Nelson and Wilson also received votes. David Mastriani, Emily Martz, Sara Idleman and Kim received zero votes.

"This vote was not a formal endorsement of any candidate but a method for making petition circulation more efficient," the committee said.