A West River county prosecutor and former lawmaker is running for state attorney general.
Lance Russell plans to run for the Republican nomination for the state’s top law enforcement officer, according to a press release.
Russell is currently the state’s attorney for Oglala Lakota and Fall River counties. He previously served 12 years in the South Dakota Legislature.
He said he’s running on a platform of open government and ensuring safer communities.
“Violent and drug-related crime is on the rise in South Dakota, and my number one priority will be to reverse that trend and to make sure our streets are safe,” Russell said in a statement.
The move comes shortly after current Attorney General Marty Jackley announced plans to run for Congress.
Russell ran for attorney general in 2018, but lost at the Republican state convention to Jason Ravnsborg. Ravnsborg went on to be impeached over his actions following a fatal crash.