A close loss in the Republican primary isn't stopping Mike Korchak from a run for Broome County District Attorney. The Chief ADA is now making a run with the Libertarian party behind him.

He's called out his former party saying the Republican committee wanted attorney Paul Battisti from the beginning.

"I believed at the time that I contacted the party chair that I was the most qualified candidate for the job, and to be told I wouldn’t be considered, wouldn’t even get an interview and being discouraged from running, that's not the American way," said Korchak.

The party chairman Bijoy Datta also runs a private campaign firm. Although most of his clients have been from outside the county, Korchak calls this a major conflict of interest.

"Anyone can run for anything but when a party turns away from a qualified candidate and puts their full support behind someone who doesn’t have the qualifications, that's not good for the party, that's not good for the people, and that's not good for the voters," Korchak stated.

"Mike Korchak is running for District Attorney with a party platform of legalizing prostitution and non-prosecution of drug crimes,” said Datta in response to Korchak switching parties. “He's wrong to align himself with these extremist positions."

Battisti is also critical of Korchak's move -- something Korchak says is hypocritical.

"Paul interviewed for the Libertarian line, and when he found it wasn't going his way, he actually applied for a second interview on the Libertarian line, so for him to now turn around and criticize the same party is a little disingenuous if you ask me," said Korchak.

Spectrum News reached out to Battisti for more reaction to Korchak's decision. He says he simply plans to continue to fight the opioid epidemic and stand up for crime victims.