ALBANY — In an unusual infusion of big money into local upstate politics, billionaire George Soros poured cash into the Albany County district attorney's race — and engineered a stunning defeat of the incumbent because the DA supports the strict Rockefeller drug laws.
The Soros-founded Drug Policy Alliance Network — which favors repeal of the Rockefeller laws — contributed at least $81,500 to the Working Families Party, which turned around and supported the successful Democratic primary campaign of David Soares.

Trying to become Albany's first black DA, Soares on Tuesday unexpectedly trounced his former boss, incumbent Albany DA Paul Clyne, who has opposed changing the drug laws. The victory was overwhelming: Soares took 62 percent of the Democratic vote.

"This was more than a local race, that's what the [Soros] funding shows," said Assemblyman John McEneny, who supported the challenger's candidacy.

Soros, an international financier and philanthropist who says he is dedicating his life to defeating President Bush, favors legalizing some drugs.

Clyne backers claim that the Working Families Party, using the Soros money, illegally involved itself in the Democratic primary. They charge the Soros cash was used to target Democratic voters with mass mailings and phone calls labeling Clyne as the reason the drug laws were not reformed, as well as highlighting his anti-abortion stance.

"A drug-legalization group funds the race for district attorney — that's kind of scary. And some of the public bought it," said a disappointed Clyne, who is still on the November ballot on the Independence Party line.

Soares also received some $25,000 from an array of high-profile out-of-towners supporting drug-law reform, including former U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, Seagram CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. and music executive Jason Flom.

"This was a very well-organized effort run out of New York City," said Albany Mayor Gerald Jennings, a Clyne supporter. "Why would they be interested in an Albany County district-attorney race?"

Working Families Executive Director Dan Cantor denied his party directly involved itself in the Democratic primary. But he argued that his liberal party has every right to promote its candidate since Soares is also running on the Working Family Party's line in the November general election.

A spokesman for Soros, Michael Vachon, said that while the billionaire supports reforming the drug laws, his involvement in the Albany DA race was limited to funding the Drug Policy Alliance Network. That group's executive director, Ethan Nadelmann, said he briefly discussed with Soros the network's involvement in the DA race several weeks ago, and sent him a note Tuesday night telling him of the outcome.

All told, Soares spent more than $125,000 on the primary, while Clyne said his spending will have exceeded $100,000.

Nadelmann said that the Soares victory raises the possibility that the Soros-backed organization will spend even more money on races involving other DAs in New York who oppose Rockefeller drug-law reform.

"All 'lock-'em-up, throw-away-the-key' DAs should take notice of what just happened to Paul Clyne," Nadelmann said. "There will be consequences for people who advocate inhumane and ineffective laws."

While the Soros family has already donated more than $15 million to get rid of President Bush, it has also turned its attention to New York politics.

The Post recently reported that Soros' son, Robert, and his wife, Melissa Schiff Soros, donated $100,000 to state Senate Democrats.

By KENNETH LOVETT

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