David Soares facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Soares
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Soares in June 2008
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| District Attorney of Albany County | |
| In office January 1, 2005 – December 31, 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Paul Clyne |
| Succeeded by | Lee Kindlon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 26, 1969 Brava, Cape Verde |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Cornell University (BS) Albany Law School (JD) |
| Occupation | Attorney |
P. David Soares was born on October 26, 1969, in Brava, Cape Verde. He is an American politician and a lawyer. He used to be the top prosecutor, called the District Attorney, for Albany County, New York. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
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David Soares's Life
David Soares was the youngest of six children. He grew up in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. David and his wife Stacey live in Glenmont, New York. They have two young children together. He also has two children from a previous marriage.
Becoming a Lawyer
David Soares worked hard while studying at Albany Law School. He interned at the Albany International Airport Authority. He also worked for the Albany County District Attorney's office. After graduating, he became an assistant district attorney.
Political Career
First Election in 2004
On November 2, 2004, David Soares was elected as the Albany County District Attorney. He won against the person who held the job before him, Paul Clyne. This happened in a primary election for the Democratic Party. Then, in the main election, he also defeated Clyne and Roger J. Cusick.
Many people thought Paul Clyne would easily win again. But David Soares won by a lot of votes. His campaign got help from the Working Families Party. This party thought Soares's win showed their growing power. The New York Times newspaper called his victory a "stunning upset." This means it was a very surprising win.
- September 2004 Democratic Primary Election
- David Soares: 14,909 votes (60.5%)
- Paul Clyne: 9,741 votes (39.5%)
- November 2004 General Election
- David Soares (Democrat): 75,610 votes (54.6%)
- Roger J. Cusick (Republican): 57,202 votes (41.3%)
- Paul Clyne (Independence Party): 5,677 votes (4.1%)
Re-election in 2008
In 2008, David Soares ran for re-election. The former District Attorney, Paul Clyne, thought about running against him again. But he decided not to. For a while, it looked like Soares might not have anyone running against him.
However, Roger Cusick, who had lost to Soares in 2004, decided to run. He ran as an independent candidate. He got enough signatures to be on the ballot. So, he ran against David Soares again in November 2008.
David Soares won the 2008 election by a large number of votes. He received 73% of the votes.
- November 2008 General Election
- P. David Soares (Democrat): 80,441 votes (73%)
- Roger J. Cusick (Independent): 29,128 votes (27%)
Re-election in 2012
In 2012, a lawyer named Lee Kindlon decided to challenge Soares. He ran against Soares in the Democratic Party primary election. The Albany Times Union newspaper supported Soares for re-election.
Soares won the primary election on September 13, 2012. The unofficial count was 14,498 votes for Soares. Kindlon received 10,143 votes.
2024 Election
In 2024, David Soares ran for re-election again. He was challenged by Lee Kindlon, who had run against him before. This time, Soares lost to Kindlon in the Democratic primary election. Kindlon won with 55% of the votes.
Future Political Plans
In 2007, people wondered if Soares would run for a higher political job. He was even mentioned as a possible candidate for Congress. This was for the 21st congressional district of New York. However, Soares chose to run for District Attorney again in 2008.
Awards and Recognition
David Soares has received many awards for his public service. In 2015, he was named one of "America's Top 10 Animal Defenders." This award was from the Animal Legal Defense Fund. In 2014, he received the Whitney M. Young Community Partner of the Year Award. This was for hosting health testing events at his office.
As of 2016, Soares was the First Vice President of the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York. He also served as President of this association from 2018 to 2019.
Important Cases
Major Cases
One of the first big cases for Soares's office was a serious crime case in 2005. His team worked hard to get a guilty verdict. The case was about Christopher Porco, who was found guilty. He was sentenced to a long time in prison. This case was even featured on TV shows.
Other important cases handled by Soares's office include the convictions in the cases of People vs. Edward Mero and People vs. De Von Callicutt.
Government Cases
In 2006, Soares started an investigation into New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi. This was about claims that Hevesi had cheated the government. Hevesi later pleaded guilty to one charge. This was for using state employees for personal tasks.
In 2007, Soares said he would investigate other state departments. These included Education, Health, and Motor Vehicles. He also investigated a political issue called "Troopergate." He found that no laws were broken in that case.
Cases About Illegal Substances
Soares's office has also prosecuted people for selling illegal substances. These substances were sometimes sold to professional baseball players. Soares worked with the Mitchell Commission on this issue. He helped convict a doctor who illegally gave these substances to people.
