From the courtroom to the capital, Broome County District Attorney Steve Cornwell is making a run for Congress. The Republican hopes to challenge Congressman Anthony Brindisi in next year's election.

“Things feel great, we're really moving,” said Cornwell. “We have our own space now that we can focus on and get all of our work done out here."

With illegal immigration at the forefront of the national conversation, Cornwell is hoping to take action. He criticized his opponent for what he calls towing the party line, rather than taking action.

"Nancy Pelosi and her crew are not going to do it,” stated Cornwell. “It's not going to happen and Brindisi is lockstep with Nancy Pelosi when it comes to it. They want to use it as a campaign issue; they don't want to solve the problem. I hope the pressure I put on them, this won’t be a campaign issue, because they need to fix it now. We need to stop the drugs, the gangs."

Another issue Cornwell plans to focus on is job training, and specifically who receives it.

"We should be giving jobs to the people, and better jobs and job training to the people here in New York state instead of giving money to people that are not citizens and don’t belong here," said Cornwell.

Cornwell says investing in jobs would go a long way to curb the drug epidemic.

“There are people that have never seen anyone work around them,” Cornwell said. “We need to work with them and give them a hand up, not a hand out and help show them the way to be productive members of society. We can grow upstate New York; we can grow out economy and return to what we once were."

Cornwell will serve as Broome County's DA until the end of the year.