KINGSTON – Mike Kavanagh lost by 78 votes in 2019 when he ran to serve as the Ulster County District Attorney.
Democrat Dave Clegg beat him, but now after one term, Clegg is not seeking reelection, and Kavanagh wants the job.
“There were a lot of people who reached out and encouraged me to run again,” said the Kavanagh Thursday, prior to a campaign kick-off event at the Wiltwyck Golf Course. “I can use my experience to really help that office.”
Kavanagh, running as a non-enrolled candidate for a four-year term to be decided in November, works for the law firm of Manetti and Manetti fulltime and is also a part-time public defender.
And he’s worried about the drug toll, especially from opioids, in Ulster County
“I am concerned about the opioid epidemic in general. We have seen a spike. There’s been less fatalities, more overdoses, so I think there have been a lot of cases over the last three years where the police officers make an arrest on a serious drug case, fentanyl case, and it doesn’t go anywhere,” he said. “That’s something that needs to change. I really think the DA’s office should be victim focused and is there for public safety. That’s whole purpose of the DA’s office, and I don’t think is necessarily happening right now. It’s more of a defendant-focused office. I think there are some issues with the way cases are being handled and a leadership issue, so that’s why I am running.”
