Assemblyman Phil Steck announced Monday that he will not run for Albany County district attorney. He will instead seek reelection to his current seat.

Steck, a Democrat, had initially made a bid for the position. He called for the resignation of Albany County District Attorney David Soares in the wake of a scandal in which Soares used state grant money to give himself a $22,000 bonus.

“It was never my intention to choose to run for District Attorney instead of for re-election to the New York State Assembly,” Steck wrote in a statement. “However, I applied for the endorsement of the Democratic Party because I was prepared to address the need to restore credibility to that office. I am certainly not the only attorney in Albany County who can do that.” 

The Albany County Democratic Committee did not endorse any candidate for the position. Steck is seeking to run again for another term for his 110th Assembly District seat, which represents Colonie, Niskayuna, Guilderland and Schenectady.  

Soares has said he has done nothing wrong and would give the grant money back. He is seeking a sixth term and faces a challenge from defense attorney Lee Kindlon and Soares’ predecessor Paul Clyne.