ST. PETER — Attorney Elizabeth Levine announced her candidacy for the Nicollet County attorney. Levine has been practicing criminal defense in southern Minnesota since 2013.

Having won numerous trials against the current Nicollet County Attorney’s office over the past few years, Levine has a unique perspective on prosecution policies. She hopes to shape the County Attorney’s office to seek convictions as appropriate and to thoroughly investigate to reach just outcomes and successful prosecutions, she said in a press release. Levine recognizes that the County Attorney’s office is using county taxpayers’ dollars and has a duty to do so responsibly and efficiently, she said.

As an assistant public defender, Levine regularly interacts with the current Nicollet County Attorney’s office. She believes she can make significant changes to current practices that will reduce spending and have a positive impact on the citizens of Nicollet County while maintaining public safety.

Levine graduated from Clarkson University with degrees in Civil Engineering and Engineering and Management. She completed law school at DePaul College of Law. She previously practiced civil litigation in New York City and has served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer stationed in West Africa.

As a parent and spouse with a history of public service, she has the skills and insight to understand how to complete the mandate of a prosecutor: to seek justice, she said in her press release.

She believes in improving the community by seeking avenues of rehabilitation and restorative justice, she said. In her current role, Levine deals with chemical dependency and mental health issues on a daily basis, and knows they touch every person in the community — from bullied children to veterans who need support when they return home. She wants to focus on policies that enable each of our community members to be safe and successful.

Levine is dedicated to protecting the rights, money and future of all the citizens of Nicollet County, she said in her press release.

Elizabeth Levine can be reached at 507-514-0100 and votelevine2018@gmail.com.