But a business Aretakis seems to enjoy; taking on sexual predators including those with ties to the Catholic Church. Still, his run for Congressman Mike McNulty's seat isn't the first time he's considered leaving the courtroom for political office. He once contemplated challenging Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno for his seat.

"But when Mr. McNulty's seat opened up, national victims rights groups, victims from across the country have said to me, we need a voice in Washington," Aretakis said. "In one state a penalty for an adult for doing something to a child could be a year. In a neighboring state it could be ten years. There is not uniformity. So some states have become harbors for sexual predators."

Aretakis running for McNulty's seat

Yet another person has thrown his hat into the 21st Congressional race bringing the total number of candidates to eight. The latest contender is no stranger to media coverage: as an attorney he's become widely known in this region. Britt Godshalk reports.

"I think that some of the candidates have deep ties and deep roots to local political organizations," Aretakis said. "And that means those organizations will, to some extent, pull their strings."

As he stood before only a handful of people, his position was clear.

"I don't want people standing at my side," Aretakis said. "What I think endorsements mean is political payback. So endorsements to me are a liability."

In the audience, his father, who moved the Aretakis family from Brooklyn to Guilderland when John was about ten. Aretakis now primarily lives in Manhattan, splitting his time downstate and upstate.

"I think that no one is going to accuse me of being a carpetbagger," Aretakis said. "People have seen my face, they've read my name. They know when they see a story about a pedophile in any of the walks of life that I'm up here."

He said switching his primary residence to North Greenbush is an easy step. One he must take, if he wants to step out of the courtroom and towards the Congressional chamber.