After 40 years in public service, Washington County Attorney Pete Orput has announced that he will not be seeking re-election when his term expires at the end of this year.

“Serving the people of Washington County has been the highlight of my career,” said Orput. “I’m incredibly proud of the important work we’ve done to significantly advance the cause of justice. We’ve markedly improved the operations of the county attorney’s office. We’ve established a veteran’s court. We’ve established addressed the scourge of opioid addictions. And we’ve locked up sex traffickers and murderers.

“Most importantly, we’ve helped victims of crime.”

Orput was first elected as Washington County Attorney the 2010 and re-elected in 2014 and 2018. Prior to becoming county attorney, he served as an assistant Hennepin County attorney in the violent crimes division of the office. He has also served as general counsel to the Minnesota Department of Corrections and as Deputy Attorney General in charge of the public protection section of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.

In 2016, he was appointed by Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton to serve on the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission where he served through 2020. He’s also vice president of the National District Attorneys Association and serves as legal counsel to the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association.

Before embarking on a career in law, he was a high school history teacher and served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is a husband and father of three.

“I’ll leave office with a deep gratitude for the opportunity to serve, the trust the public has placed in me, and the people who have helped me along the way.”

Orput said he’s proud of the outstanding team of prosecutors in the county attorney’s office, adding that the office will remain in “exceptionally capable hands.”

His last day as county attorney will be December 31.