Saratoga County Court Judge Jim Murphy III will not seek re-election. A former Saratoga County District Attorney, Murphy, a Republican, was elected county judge in 2014. His current term expires at the end of next year.
Adele Kurtz, who most recently served as Murphy’s clerk, is the first Republican to announce a bid to replace him.
Kurtz made her official announcement to friends, family, and reporters at Augie’s Restaurant in Ballston Spa Thursday.
Kurtz, who has also worked in the District Attorney’s office and the county conflict defender’s office, said her experiences behind the bench and on both sides of the courtroom have prepared her to excel as a judge.
“I know the issues which face the court on a daily basis. And I have the knowledge and I have the experience to effectively address those issues. The residents of Saratoga County deserve a seamless transition when Judge Murphy retires,” said Kurtz.
Kurtz’s first law partner John Mertz praised Kurtz’s dedication to the rule of law and the protection of every citizen’s rights.
“After our law practice, she went on to the public defender’s office, then on to the DAs office, and now she works for a titan of a judge, Judge Murphy. She is not just tenacious, but she’s well reasoned, her intellect is of the highest level, her integrity is of the highest level,” said Mertz.
Kurtz said she understands that she has big shoes to fill, but is prepared for any challenges posed by the position.
“I promise that if I am elected, I will treat every person who appears before me with dignity and respect. I will be fair, I will be impartial, I will be reasoned in my deliberations and decisions from the bench. While it is inevitable that some of the decisions rendered will not make the parties happy, it is imperative that the people who appear before me fell that their voice has been heard,” said Kurtz.
Kurtz expects several opponents to emerge in the GOP field. The Saratoga County Democratic committee did not respond to requests for comment.
The 56-year-old Kurtz says her time to serve as county court judge has come.
“When he announced that he was not seeking reelection, it set up me for the perfect transition. Having been on the defense side, having been on the prosecution side, and now having sat next to him in chambers and at the bench, it is going to be a seamless transition, if elected. And it’s the appropriate time for me. I feel as though I have sat everywhere in that courtroom, and now, the only seat I have not filled is on the bench and I look forward to that,” said Kurtz.
Kurtz is part of the Kusnierz family, one of the region’s more politically powerful families. Her mother served on the Moreau Town Board in the 1990s, and her brother, Todd Kusnierz, has served three terms as the chair of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors before losing his reelection bid in November.
