Breaking: Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced Wednesday evening she will not seek a second term in office.
Moriarty, who assumed office in January 2023, has 17 months remaining in her current term, which concludes in December 2026.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty Will Not Run for Re-election
What’s being said:
Moriarty released the following statement:
“I ran for this office to do the hard work; the work that desperately needed doing and the work the voters chose when I was elected in 2022 by 16 points. We’ve become accustomed to elected officials who don’t deliver results and end up more invested in clinging to power than doing the work of the people. That is not me. As I have weighed whether I wanted to spend the last year and a half of my term focused primarily on campaigning or continuing to transform this office, the choice became clear. I want to focus on running the office, rather than running for office. I trust that the voters who overwhelmingly elected me just two and a half years ago will choose a candidate in 2026 to build on our work, which is proving to make Hennepin County safer and more just.”
Hennepin county Commissioner and Board Chair Irene Fernando stated:
“County Attorney Mary Moriarty has been a tireless fighter for justice in an increasingly unjust world. I’ve been grateful for her partnership to date. I’m certain that our partnership will continue as we work in our respective positions to ensure better outcomes for residents through the remainder of her term. I’m grateful for the Attorney’s leadership and tenacity. there is still a lot we will accomplish together in the next 18 months.”
Background:
Mary Moriarty was elected Hennepin County Attorney in November 2022, defeating Republican candidate Bethany Stokely with 57% of the vote.She succeeded Mike Freeman, who served as County attorney from 1991-1999 and again from 2007-2023. Freeman did not seek re-election in 2022, ending his 24 years in the role.
Moriarty’s election marked a shift in the office’s approach to prosecution, with a focus on restorative justice and addressing racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Her platform included reducing cash bail, diverting low-level offenses, and increasing accountability for police misconduct.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Minnesota, handling over 20,000 criminal cases annually.The county serves approximately 1.2 million residents, including the cities of Minneapolis, Bloomington, and Richfield.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Source: Information provided in a statement from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
