UTICA — Todd Carville, a current Oneida County Assistant District Attorney, has thrown his hat into the running for the position of Oneida County District Attorney.
Carville, who was born and raised in Utica, began working for the county as an assistant district attorney in 2003, handling traffic tickets and misdemeanors. During his time in the DA’s office, Carville has handled over 1,000 felony cases and other lower-level crimes. He has taken 25 felony cases to trial.
Current District Attorney Scott McNamara has held the position since 2007. However, he is not running for reelection in 2023.
Carville announced his candidacy on Thursday, Dec. 1, at the Irish Cultural Center in Utica. He was joined by members of his family, over 100 supporters, McNamara and State Sen. Joe Griffo, among others.
Art Ellis, a retired New York State Trooper, introduced Carville at the event. Ellis said that everyone at the county who works in criminal justice is a family, which is led by the district attorney.
“It’s not an easy job to run this family,” Ellis said. “The person who runs us makes the determination of whether you go to jail, or you go home and watch Jeopardy. This is a tremendous, tremendous responsibility. I think today, we have a man that can do that.”
“I wanted somebody from somebody inside that family that’s going to take care of us, somebody who’s going to take care of the victim,” he added. “Because that’s what everyone else does. Everybody in this family takes care of the victim. And the man we’ve chosen to lead us is going to do that.”
Carville, who is running as a Republican, is a self-professed “relentless law-and-order guy.” He spoke about the importance of family — he is the youngest of 14 siblings — and holds the safety of his wife, his four sons and Oneida County residents to the highest regard.
“After all, if we’re not safe, does anything else really matter?” Carville asked.
Carville pledged to speak out against the bail reform, raise the age and Discovery protocol laws. He acknowledged that these laws were passed with good intentions, but decried the lack of consultation and communication between lawmakers and law enforcement officials.
“I will be a strong voice to Albany and Washington, so that policy makers understand the implications and consequences of the laws they pass,” Carville said. “But make no mistake, I am not a callous prosecutor solely seeking criminal convictions. … My goal is the same that it’s always been, to deliver justice to victims of crime.”
Carville said that the position of DA is not about politics — it’s about protecting and getting justice for children who have experienced abuse, homeowners whose houses have been burglarized and other people who are victims of crimes.
“In the end, we deliver justice. It’s about never giving up the pursuit of justice,” Carville said. “This job is not for the faint of heart. I have the experience to do the job and do it right for the people we serve. I have the energy and commitment to head our next generation of prosecutors into the future.”