Albany attorney James Long officially launched his campaign for City Court Judge Wednesday.
With 37 years of practicing law under his belt, Long, freshly-appointed Albany County public defender in February, paints himself as an "underdog" dedicating to "helping people."
"City court needs someone with my background and my experience. Someone who's been in the trenches down there, who can make a difference."
Long, supported by State Senator Neil Breslin, County Legislator Wanda Willingham and city councilmen Mark Robinson, Kelly Kimbrough and Ron Bailey, will face Albany County Democratic Committee candidate Joshua Farrell in a primary. Both seek to replace Judge Rachel Kretser, who decided not to run for a second term. According to The Times Union, Long would like to step down as public defender by June 1st, before ballot petitioning begins.