BAIL REFORM IS BACK: In 2004, the Working Families Party backed Albany County District Attorney David Soares. He had presented himself as a reformer, promising to undo the Rockefeller-era drug laws that established mandatory minimums for certain crimes. Two decades later, Soares, a Democrat, is running against the left-leaning party, positioning himself as the tough-on-crime candidate that rails against bail reform and the state’s “raise the age” law. He’s also blaming the policies for the consistently high crime levels in Albany — even as the same programs have coincided with decreased crime elsewhere in the state. “We were fighting for reforms that I felt were long overdue,” said Soares, who was endorsed today by former Gov. David Paterson. “I have been a staunch critic of where we are in terms of public safety right now. We understand what the original intent of the statues were, but we have not taken the opportunity to measure the impact.” While Soares isn’t well known outside the capital region, the race for Albany County DA has become emblematic of the way bail reform continues to define the debate around criminal justice for Democrats, five years after the then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the changes into law. Soares and Paterson say the race has laid bare a shift in the party. “The progressives don't even want to talk about this,” Paterson said of the bail reforms, saying its proponents are driven by “unaddressed anger” and not facts. Soares’ challenger, defense attorney Lee Kindlon, embraces bail reform, saying in a debate that it “stopped punishing people for being poor.” He also told POLITICO he would like to see bail laws adjusted for violent offenders, accused sex criminals and domestic violence perpetrators. Kindlon said Soares has intentionally politicized the race for DA — drawing attention to criminal justice reforms as a way to distract from scandals in the office. The attorney says those misdeeds actually propelled him to challenge Soares. The incumbent got into hot water in April when he was found to have given himself a $24,000 bonus from state grants. He has since returned the money. A separate audit also alleges Soares improperly directed money from the county’s civil forfeiture fund. Soares told POLITICO today he returned the money to “get that whole issue off the table” and that he has put it toward funding an elementary school. As Soares seeks a fifth term, he has also made a name for himself as a mudslinger. After Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, Assemblymember Phil Steck and County Executive Dan McCoy endorsed Kindlon, Soares issued statements deriding each of them. He called Sheehan a “feckless” leader and compared her to Marie Antoinette. He later said that his description of the mayor was accurate and not personal. “I don’t do character attacks,” he said. — Jason Beeferman
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