Schenectady County Family Court Judge Christine M. Clark today formally announced her candidacy for New York State Supreme Court’s 4th Judicial District.

The Fourth Judicial District includes St. Lawrence, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties. Four seats are up for election in the 4th Judicial District in November’s general election.

Another downstate resident, Jeffrey D. Wait, City Court Judge for the City of Saratoga Springs, has also announced his candidacy for the same position.

Judge Clark has served on the bench since 2005, with experience in City Court, Family Court, and acting judge in both County Court and Supreme Court.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to serve an even larger population of New York as Supreme Court Justice,” Clark said. “I would be honored to follow in the footsteps of two of my mentors – Justice Vincent Reilly and Justice Barry Kramer – each of whom has served the district so well during their tenure.”

Judge Clark was elected to Family Court in 2010. She has been an Acting Supreme Court Justice since taking the Family Court bench. She served as Schenectady City Court Judge for six years, during which time she worked in partnership with county employees to establish a mental health court for individuals who suffer from a mental illness or disease and have been arrested for low-level crimes. The Mental Health Court works to connect participants to needed services and reduce further criminal behavior.

Before that she was an assistant district attorney in Schenectady County, where she was the first bureau chief of the Special Victims Unit.

If elected, Clark would be only the second woman to serve the district.