Tioga DA Candidate: I Stopped Drinking After Crash

Kirk Martin, the Republican candidate for Tioga County district attorney, is responding to his challenger's effort to publicize his past issues with alcohol.

In a mailing to county residents, Martin acknowledged he was "drinking too much" when he was younger.

Martin, who had been an assistant district attorney in 2006, wrote that on "one particular night" he "drove after drinking, had an accident and received a DWAI" (driving while ability impaired) charge.

In the campaign mailing, Martin wrote that he hasn't "had a single drop of alcohol in the eight years since that night."

Martin resigned in June 2006 after pleading guilty in Owego town court.

Martin also wrote that he has not "hidden behind dirty or anonymous attack tactics."

Frederick Luther, the Democratic DA candidate, said his campaign mailed about 8,000 copies of a 2006 letter from Martin's boss asking for his resignation.

Speaking on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program, Luther explained his decision not to make clear that he was responsible for the mailing by saying: "I didn't want to bias the voters."

Luther said: "It's the official record of Mr. Martin's performance in the district attorney's office. I wanted them to read it with an unbiased open mind."

Martin has not responded to several requests to discuss his campaign.