What’s the difference between this year’s candidates for District Attorney?

THE  CHOICE  IS  CLEAR

Manny Nneji

ENDORSED BY

DEMOCRATIC
WORKING FAMILIES

Mike Kavanagh

ENDORSED BY

REPUBLICAN
CONSERVATIVE

WHO’S MANNY?

— First-generation immigrant who worked his way through college as a dishwasher, janitor, and fast food employee.

— Current Chief Assistant DA and 32-year prosecutor, serving under both Republican and Democratic administrations (Kavanagh Sr., Williams, Cuomo, Schneiderman Carnright, Clegg).

— Manny is a dedicated public servant known for his thorough, tenacious investigations and fair pursuit of justice.

WHO’S MIKE?

— Son of a district attorney who expected to follow in his father's footsteps and continue the 100+ year legacy of Republican DAs in Ulster County.

— Lost the DA's race in 2019 to a Democrat and abandoned the DA's office, with Republican colleagues leaving with him.

— Mike campaigns with headline-grabbing press releases calling for investigations and rushing to judgment before the facts are in.*

CHOOSE EXPERIENCE

Manny takes on the most complex, difficult cases, successfully prosecuting numerous brutal homicides, sexual assaults, and hundreds of violent assaults, burglaries, arson, and drug sales. He has handled our county’s worst hate crimes, and investigated white collar crime. Sampling of cases

Mike prosecuted a fraction of the cases that Manny has with a narrower range of crimes, avoided the toughest cases (passing them on to Manny or other assistant DAs), and in 2019 took zero cases to trial while campaigning.** In contrast, Manny Nneji has continued to work full time and try cases while campaigning for DA.

CHOOSE DEDICATION

Manny has demonstrated steadfast commitment during a series of shocks to New York's criminal justice system—from bail reform and new evidence requirements to a statewide exodus of Assistant DAs—all in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.

Mike compromised public safety and justice when he failed to prepare for the new evidence requirements, refused to work with the new DA on a proper transition of power, and delayed the swearing in of the new DA with a lawsuit and refusal to concede until after a recount.

CHOOSE VISION

Manny will continue moving the office forward with a diverse team that looks like the community it serves, equipped with the technology and training it needs and committed to protecting our safety, our rights, and our freedoms.

Mike will move the office backward to the good old boy days— when transparency, service, and fairness were trumped by closed doors, career ambition, and personal connections. He will undo the efforts to diversify and modernize the DA’s office.

CHOOSE FREEDOM

Manny is pro-choice. While reproductive rights are being threatened by DAs and legislators across the country, Manny will always protect women who seek abortions and their pro-choice allies from red state extradition.

Echoing the Supreme Court Justices who spoke of abortion rights as 'settled law' before going on to gut them, Mike Kavanagh has skirted the question of whether he is pro-choice with non-answers like "that's the law of the land."***

CHOOSE MANNY NNEJI FOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY

* Source: Kavanagh press releases on Kingston High School attack and comptroller audit of CARES II program.
** Source: 2019 Ulster County Criminal Trials, provided by the New York State Unified Court System.
*** Source: Radio Kingston, 5/15/2023.