>> and once i read that facebook post, i thought, "who does that?" and i immediately private-messaged tandy, and i said, "this just makes me cry." and she said, "there is no crying." but that's hard to get past. >> reporter: tandy let mary re-post the incident to her facebook friends, and from there it went viral. >> it was the thing i had prayed for. >> reporter: a big news splash in the county. >> kind of a political stumble. you know, it makes nicole duve look like she didn't have a handle on things. that if she didn't even know where the victim's mother lived, how could she find the victim's killer? >> reporter: on election night the voters spoke. mary rain came from behind to win the d.a.'s job 52% to 48%. the two potsdam voters with perhaps the greatest rooting interest in the outcome had opposite reactions. >> i felt relief. i felt like something was finally going to happen. >> i was alarmed a little bit, not surprised.