Jason MacBride has officially won the Republican primary for Ontario County District Attorney, defeating incumbent Jim Ritts by 103 votes, according to the latest unofficial results released Tuesday afternoon.
The final tally from the Ontario County Board of Elections shows MacBride with 2,191 votes (51.18%) to Ritts’ 2,088 votes (48.77%). Two write-in votes were also recorded, bringing the total number of votes in the primary to 4,281 across all 92 precincts.
In a statement posted on social media, MacBride thanked Republican voters for their support. “Republicans spoke loud and clear that they need a district attorney who is hardworking, respected by the entire criminal justice system, and committed to doing the right thing for victims,” he wrote. “This isn’t about politics—it’s about restoring integrity to the District Attorney’s Office.”
Ritts, who has served as DA since 2017 and was seeking a third term, acknowledged the loss but said he would remain in the race through November. “I’m disappointed to have come up short in the Republican Primary by 103 votes, but I’m looking forward to running in the General Election where we’ll have far greater voter turnout,” he said in a written statement Tuesday.
Ritts also criticized MacBride, calling him “a public safety disaster for our community” and accused “political insiders” of putting politics over performance. He noted that less than 5% of the county’s 80,000 registered voters participated in the primary. “When the full population considers the candidates and votes in November, I’m optimistic that they’ll deliver a different result than this razor-thin Primary,” he said.
Ritts will appear on the Conservative Party line in November, while MacBride has secured an independent ballot line in addition to the Republican nomination. With no Democratic candidate in the race, the November election is expected to be a rematch between the two.
The race, which drew strong opinions from both sides, has centered around leadership of the DA’s office, handling of internal operations, and law enforcement endorsements. Ritts had support from various state police unions and former judges, while MacBride was backed by the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office PBA, Geneva Police PBA, and several former prosecutors.
The Ontario County Republican Committee did not endorse a candidate in the primary. The general election is scheduled for November 4.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.