LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska state Sen. Pete Pirsch jumped into the Republican primary race for attorney general on Friday, saying his background as a former criminal prosecutor and a state crime commission member leaves him well-suited for the job.
The Omaha lawmaker made his announcement less than a week after current Attorney General Jon Bruning that he was running for governor. Pirsch, 44, had originally planned to run for state auditor, but the Omaha lawmaker said his greatest passion was with the attorney general’s office.
“I think my passion and the experience that I have makes me uniquely qualified to play the role of attorney general,” Pirsch said after filing for office at the Capitol.
Pirsch is the second GOP hopeful to announce that he’ll run. Lincoln attorney Doug Peterson has also declared his candidacy, and attorneys Brian Buescher of Omaha and Mike Hilgers of Lincoln are looking seriously at the race. Fremont attorney Janet Stewart is unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Pirsch is serving his eighth and final year in the Legislature but can’t run again because of term limits. He pointed to bills he pushed through the Legislature aimed at sexual offenders, repeat drunken drivers and restitution for crime victims.
Pirsch said he supports the death penalty for people convicted of murder, arguing it serves as a deterrent. Nebraska is currently unable to carry out executions because it can’t obtain new supplies of sodium thiopental, one of three drugs required for the procedure in Nebraska.
Pirsch, an Omaha native, began his career as a criminal prosecutor in Douglas County and served as an appointed member of the Nebraska Crime Commission. He earned his law degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1997 and a master’s of business administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2005.
Pirsch formally announced he was running for state auditor in October. Before that, he had been traveling Nebraska to meet with voters.
“I think I’ve been able to touch a lot of people in their communities throughout their state,” he said. “I think they have a good comfort level with me, and I have a good understanding of all Nebraskans, no matter where they’re located.”
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