A longtime legislative counsel to Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton on Monday announced his campaign for the seat she is vacating at the end of the year. 

Democrat Jordan Lesser announced his intention to run for the district, which encompasses the Ithaca area.

“For over 10 years, I have had the honor of working for Assemblywoman Lifton in both the Albany and Ithaca offices, on every piece of legislation, many policy initiatives, and the state budget,” Lesser said. “As a native Ithacan, an environmental attorney, and with many educators in my family, I understand both the needs of the district and how to accomplish the goals of our local communities in Albany.”

Lesser pointed to his work on amicus briefs supporting local hydrofracking bans and helped play a role in developing New York's aquatice invasive species law.

Lifton first took office in 2003 and annouced this month she would not seek re-election. 

“I worked closely with hundreds of residents of Tompkins and Cortland counties and many local advocacy groups during the 7-year battle to stop fracking in New York," Lesser said. "All of whom were concerned about risks to their drinking water, including the sole source aquifer providing water to all residents of Cortland, and about protecting the beauty and economy of the region. My legal and legislative work as Counsel to Assemblywoman Lifton, as well as close work with constituents, put me in an ideal position to continue this critical work toward an effective state climate action plan and other important environmental initiatives.”