KNOX — Only 21 people voted in the Conservative primary for Knox highway superintendent but Joshua Gebe beat incumbent Matthew Schanz with 57 percent of the vote.

The tally was 12 to 9, according to unofficial election results posted by the Albany County Board of Elections on Tuesday night.

In November, Schanz will be running on the Republican line and Gebe on the Democratic line.

Among its 2,120 registered voters, Knox has 102 enrolled Conservatives, 690 Democrats, 590 Republicans, 105 voters enrolled in other small parties, and 633 unaffiliated voters.

Schanz took office in 2019 by appointment following the sudden retirement of his predecessor, Gary Salisbury, and was later elected, unopposed.

Gebe, who lives in Knox, works for the Berne highway department.

“We appreciate his commitment to the community, and we believe Knox voters are entitled to consider any resident who wants to serve the public in elected office,” the Knox Democratic Committee told The Enterprise in a statement prior to the primary.

Gebe’s experience working for Berne, the committee said, “makes him familiar with the needs of the Knox highway department, and he has the skills needed to do the job. He has the support and counsel of his father, George Gebe, a former Supervisor for the Town of Berne.

“Josh Gebe has good people skills, and he communicates well,” the committee said. “We are confident that Josh Gebe would capably serve the residents of Knox as highway superintendent.”