A second Democrat is joining 2024 race for Franklin County prosecutor
Delaware City Attorney Natalia Harris has announced she is running to replace Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack, who is not seeking reelection in 2024.
Harris, 48, a Columbus resident, will face fellow Democrat Anthony Pierson, deputy chief counsel in Tyack's office, in the May 2024 primary. So far, no Republicans have announced their candidacy.
"I am asking for your support and vote because together we can work toward a better, safer, and more just Franklin County," Harris said in a media release Tuesday. Her campaign will officially kick off Thursday with an event in the King-Lincoln Bronzeville District.
Harris, 48, was appointed Delaware city attorney in 2020 after serving as the city's chief prosecutor since 2019.
She has held several jobs as a city or county attorney over the past 25 years. Harris was an assistant city attorney in Columbus for 11 years and spent most of that time working in civil and administrative law. She has also worked in the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office in Dayton and she was lead prosecutor for the city of Cincinnati, according to her campaign.
Harris is a graduate of the University of Dayton School of Law and Central State University, where she is on the CSU Board of Trustees.
Related: Longtime prosecutor Anthony Pierson announces he's running for Franklin County prosecutor
According to her campaign, Harris’ passion for justice was triggered by the murder of her paternal aunt. She was also inspired by her father, who worked in law enforcement and raised her and her sisters as a single father after her mother passed away when Harris was in second grade.
If elected, Harris’ priorities include building a diverse prosecution team; engaging community stakeholders to develop policies that better serve the community equitably and building up the conviction integrity unit as well as the victim witness advocates unit, according to her campaign website.
Who the next county prosecutor is may be decided in the primary as the Franklin County electorate has increasingly favored Democrats.
Pierson, 46, announced his candidacy May 22 — the same day he returned to work at the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office for a third time after leaving Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's office as the lead prosecutor on all shootings involving law enforcement officers. Pierson has 20 years of experience as a prosecuting attorney at the county and state levels .
jlaird@dispatch.com
@LairdWrites
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Delaware's city attorney announces bid for Franklin County Prosecutor
