East Idaho Elects: Daniel Clark seeking re-election as Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney
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IDAHO FALLS – Daniel Clark has served as Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney for the last five years and he officially announced Tuesday he is seeking reelection.
He is currently running unopposed, but the filing deadline for other candidates to apply is March 13.
Clark tells EastIdahoNews.com his proudest accomplishment over the last five years is being able to provide victims better access to the court system.
“We restructured the office with the attorney assignments, but also with the services we were providing in this office to make sure that victims were being served and were as involved in the cases as they could be,” Clark says.
Some of the changes include a restructuring of caseloads and the creation of a new position to help serve crime victims.
Other accomplishments Clark mentioned include the creation of different task forces to help combat and investigate the opioid epidemic. Their efforts ultimately lead Bonneville County to join with 10 other counties in a lawsuit against dozens of corporations involved in the marketing and distribution of prescription opioids.
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Clark is pleased with the changes and wants to continue improving them in his next term.
“I would expect to see a lot of what we have been delivering over the last several years, and continually improve upon the delivery of those we serve,” he says.
Clark got his start in Bonneville County nearly 18 years ago as a deputy prosecutor after attending the University of Idaho School of Law. Becoming an attorney has been in his mind for as long as he can remember, he says.
“The desire for gaining the experience I was seeking transferred into a pure desire to serve the public,” Clark says.
Clark was a deputy prosecutor for several years under then Prosecuting Attorney Dane Watkins. He continued to work through the ranks, eventually serving as Chief Deputy. Clark was first appointed as the county prosecutor in 2015 after Bruce Pickett was elected as a District Judge.
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Clark is currently the president of the Idaho Prosecuting Attorneys Association and was appointed last summer to the Governor’s task force on the opioid crisis. He sits on the board for the Behavioral Health Crisis Center in Idaho Falls and the Regional Drug Court. He is also on the board of directors for the Building Hope Today Foundation.
“It has been my pleasure to serve as your prosecuting attorney for the last five years,” Clark says in a news release. “I look forward to continuing this service to our community, supporting victims and their families, and holding criminals accountable.”
A primary election will be held May 19. The general election is Nov. 3.