Binghamton Councilman Running for Broome Clerk

A member of Binghamton City Council is seeking election to a countywide post.

Council President Joseph Mihalko has announced he is running for Broome County clerk.

Richard Blythe, who has been the county clerk for 12 years, previously had announced he would not seek another term.

Mihalko, like Blythe, is a Republican. He was first elected to city council in the 2nd District in 2011. Councilmembers last month chose him to serve as council president.

The 61-year-old Mihalko announced his candidacy for the position of county clerk Thursday evening. He lives on Binghamton's West Side. He works for i3 Electronics in Endicott.

In a statement announcing his candidacy, Mihalko said he will run on "a platform embracing technology to streamline" services to reduce costs. He expressed support for spending more for satellite Department of Motor Vehicle sites to serve the county's rural residents.

Mihalko is the first person to officially announce a campaign for the county clerk's office.

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