DAYTON – Columbia County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Dale Slack announced last week that he will run for Columbia County Prosecutor this year. If elected, Slack would replace his boss, current Prosecutor Rea Culwell, who has announced she will not seek reelection.

"While I am sad to lose a great boss, I am excited for the opportunity to serve the people of Columbia County in this very important capacity," Slack said.

Slack joined the prosecutor's office in 2015. Prior to that time, he was in private practice in Dayton for four years and served as a criminal defense attorney, including work as a contracted public defender for Columbia County District and Superior Courts.

Slack said he will file as an independent and state "no party preference" on the ballot. "I believe that the office of prosecuting attorney needs to be independent, that prosecutors should not direct county policy (that's the commissioners' job), and that legal advice should be formulated based only on the facts and the law-not a desired outcome," he said.

Slack is a native of Idaho and attended schools near Caldwell. He is a graduate of Boise State University and received his law degree from the University of Idaho.

"If elected, I will continue the work we already do in strengthening and deepening relationships with the Sheriff's Office, and I would like to involve local businesses and community organizations in not only successfully prosecuting criminals, but preventing crimes and making our County safer," Slack said.

He added, "I also will continue our office's strong policy against domestic violence crimes, which erode the strength of families and damage the development of children present in domestic violence relationships. If the family is the foundation of our community, domestic violence crimes damage us all and weaken our County."