Jammel Cutler reports for Columbia-Greene Media that Columbia County Social Services Commissioner Bob Gibson on January 11 announced his candidacy for Columbia County Judge. Republican Gibson is a graduate of Albany Law School and has been engaged in the practice of law since 2000. He is a resident of Kinderhook, where he was born and raised. Gibson has been Commissioner of Social Services since 2017, and early in his career, he served as an assistant in the office of the Columbia County District Attorney. Gibson is the brother of former U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson. “I’m running for county judge to bring my decades of experience and lifetime of community service to work for every citizen of Columbia County,” Gibson said. “From representing children to prosecuting dangerous criminals as an Assistant District Attorney, to helping our most vulnerable citizens as commissioner of Social Services, my wide and varied background has prepared me well for this important position of trust.” During his time with DSS, Gibson has overseen the prosecution of child abuse and neglect cases. “Keeping the children and families of Columbia County safe has been my top priority for many years,” he said. If elected judge, Gibson said, his primary goal would be to ensure that everyone in his courtroom is treated with respect and "all parties are heard with impartiality and fairness.” Hudson attorney Michael C. Howard recently announced his intention to seek the Democratic Party nomination to run for Columbia County judge. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.