Our justice system works best when it is both fair and efficient. We can both reform the system to treat people humanely while protecting our citizens from acts of violence. It has never been my dream to run for public office. But as a lifelong Douglas County resident I can no longer stand by and watch our community suffer because of petty political fighting, personal conflicts, and a lack of leadership.

I'm running to restore the community relationships that are the backbone of our criminal justice system and return professionalism and integrity to the District Attorney's Office.

Victims of crime, people charged with committing crimes, and our community deserve a system that will treat all with respect and strive for just resolutions. We must remove the distractions that take our focus away from the people we serve and restore our focus to public service and cooperation within our community. Only then can we build a strong justice system that serves all equally.

Today, the Douglas County District Attorney's Office is broken. Long-standing partnerships with law enforcement, court services, and community groups have been severed and replaced with distrust and constant conflict. A stream of prosecutors has left to take jobs in functional offices not under the cloud of ethics investigations. This dysfunction has led to attorney shortages, overworked prosecutors, and a lack of leadership that make our community a little less safe each passing day.

Douglas County deserves a strong criminal justice system that can operate with both empathy and efficiency. It is time to set aside the personal conflicts that have dominated Douglas County for the past four years. Douglas County should be a leader in progressive, pragmatic prosecution. Under my leadership, we will be.