Attorney Mike Kavanagh announced Saturday that he will run for Ulster County District Attorney, a position once held by his father.

“Today, I am proud to announce my candidacy to be Ulster County’s next District Attorney,” Kavanagh said in a press release. “It is with an acute understanding of the challenges presented by this position I pledge to use my experience to make the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office one we can all be proud of.

Kavanagh vowed that the public will be served by professional prosecutors dedicated to protecting this community in a collaborative effort with local police to hold violent offenders accountable for their crimes. It will also partner with local and state government agencies to utilize every responsible program and resource available to offer rehabilitative services to nonviolent offenders who do not pose an immediate threat to the community, while taking every reasonable and lawful measure to assure that violent recidivists are prosecuted fully.

“Now more than ever, the next District Attorney must have the requisite experience to navigate the challenges of the criminal justice system. Ulster County cannot endure another four years of what has transpired under the current District Attorney. Restoring the District Attorney’s Office will require an experienced prosecutor who has served that office and this community at the highest level.

“As someone who has been a prosecutor for almost twenty years, as well as a defense attorney and current member of the Ulster County Public Defender’s Office, I am uniquely qualified for this position.

“In my many years of public service, I have prosecuted some of the most serious offenders Ulster County has seen. From murders and rapists to robbers and domestic abusers, I have effectively brought to justice countless violent offenders while providing a sense of closure to the victims and their families. Further, as a proud member of the prestigious law firm of Mainetti & Mainetti, as well as current Assistant Public Defender, I have served on both sides of the criminal justice system, providing me with a balanced perspective and keen understanding that for the system to work it must serve everyone fairly and equitably.”

Kavanagh was the Chief Assistant when the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office launched the Intimate Partner Violence Initiative pilot program in 2018, which utilizes a proactive and groundbreaking community-based approach to combating and preventing domestic violence. Kavanagh said he also worked closely with the Ulster County Veteran Services Agency to provide veterans in crisis with help, and in private practice he continued to donate his legal services to veterans in need.

“The Office of the District Attorney is no place for politics,” Kavanagh concluded. “As a candidate unaffiliated with any political party, I will assure that the District Attorney’s Office is free of political influence and agendas. As a resident of Ulster County with a wife and two young daughters, I have not only a professional interest, but also a personal stake in making Ulster County the safest place it can be.”

Kavanagh, running as an Independent, lost a previous election to Democrat David Clegg. The incumbent has not yet announced his own election plans.