A Prosecutor in the Race

Denise O'Donnell an important voice in attorney general race

(April 20, 2006) -- There are some big names seeking the Democratic nomination for New York attorney general.

It's good that former federal prosecutor Denise O'Donnell wasn't intimidated by a field that includes Andrew Cuomo, a former U.S. housing secretary; Mark Green, a former New York City public advocate; and Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, a well-known state lawmaker from Westchester County.

O'Donnell, who visited the Editorial Board last week, points with pride to the fact that she is the only candidate in the Democratic primary who has spent her career as a prosecutor. The Buffalo native worked her way up the ladder in the U.S. Department of Justice and was appointed by President Clinton to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York, a position she held until 2001.

O'Donnell's credentials and plans to fight public corruption should get her candidacy lots of voter attention. So should the diversity that she gives to the race. O'Donnell could well become the only woman and the only upstate resident on the Democratic ticket for any statewide offices.

One thing is certain about this year's attorney general's race: it won't be business as usual.