Hancock County Prosecuting Attorney Phil Riegle has announced that he’ll be running for a Common Pleas Court Judge seat.

Riegle issued the following statement.

Serving as Prosecuting Attorney in Hancock County for the last seven plus years has been one of the great honors of my career. Working with law enforcement to solve and close cases, bringing justice for victims, and protecting our community are responsibilities I have taken very seriously. I thank each and every law enforcement officer who has worked with myself and my office since October of 2016. Your professionalism has enabled us to do our job everyday-always seeking justice. I also want to thank my staff for taking on the challenges that we have faced along the way. We’ve had a huge increase in drug cases, dealt with horrific violent crimes, and several homicides, yet our staff keeps pursuing justice despite record high caseloads.

I want to continue to serve our community in a meaningful way and I have pondered what that means for me going forward. After a lot of contemplation, prayer, and consideration, I have come to the conclusion that the best way for me to serve our community is to run for the open Common Pleas Court Judge seat. Today, I took out petitions from the Board of Elections for that seat. I look forward to talking with the residents of Findlay and Hancock County as we move forward with the campaign into the spring. I want to thank the citizens of Hancock County for your trust in me these last 16+ years and I will work to keep that trust in this campaign and beyond.

Phil Riegle