East Idaho Elects: Pocatello native running for county prosecutor
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POCATELLO — A Republican and former Idaho deputy attorney general has announced his candidacy for Bannock County prosecutor.
Pocatello native Jeff Nye announced Wednesday he is running for the position currently held by Bannock County Prosecutor Stephen Herzog, a Democrat. Nye said he has his sights set on stopping “lenient plea agreements to sex offenders.”
“I am running for Bannock County prosecutor to put an end to the unacceptable practice of offering lenient plea agreements to sex offenders, to work with law enforcement to combat the drug trafficking epidemic in Bannock County and to increase transparency in the prosecutor’s office,” Nye said in a news release.
Nye spent two years as a deputy attorney general. While serving in the Attorney General’s Office, he handled criminal cases, including murders, sex offenses and drug trafficking.
“I have the experience to do what it takes in the job,” Nye told EastIdahoNews.com. “I’m going to bring a level of transparency to the prosecutor’s office that just hasn’t been there in the past.”
Nye grew up in Pocatello and graduated with honors from Idaho State University. He attended law school at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he graduated magna cum laude.
Nye began his legal career as a federal law clerk for Judge Randy Smith of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Pocatello. He spent some time working for a large law firm in Washington, D.C., before returning to Idaho and becoming a deputy attorney general.
“(The prosecuting attorney’s office) is a place where you can see that justice gets done. And put the skills that I developed both clerking and then at the law firm to good use and serve the public and the citizens of Idaho,” Nye said.
EastIdahoNews.com reached out to current Bannock County Prosecutor Stephen Herzog for comment but could not reach him.
Learn more about Nye at his website votejeffnye.com. He also has a campaign Facebook page Jeff Nye.