A state circuit court judge is stepping down to pursue the Republican nomination for South Dakota attorney general. 

John Fitzgerald announced his candidacy Tuesday. Current Attorney General Marty Jackley is running for the U.S. House of Representatives, which is an open seat because South Dakota’s current U.S. representative, Dusty Johnson, is running for governor. 

Fitzgerald lives in St. Onge and previously served 42 years as a state’s attorney in Butte and Lawrence counties. In November 2022, Fitzgerald was elected as a Fourth Circuit Court judge, serving eight northwestern South Dakota counties.

A press release announcing his candidacy says that “throughout his career, he built a reputation for being tough on violent offenders and committed to protecting victims and property rights.”

“Serving as a circuit judge has been an honor and has given me an even deeper appreciation for the rule of law, the Bill of Rights, and the importance of equal justice,” Fitzgerald said in the release.

Fitzgerald is a graduate of Black Hills State University in Spearfish and the law school at the University of South Dakota. His wife, Mary, serves in the South Dakota House of Representatives.

Other Republicans vying for the nomination include McPherson County State’s Attorney Austin Hoffman, and Lance Russell, the state’s attorney for Fall River and Oglala counties and a former legislator. 

Republicans choose their attorney general nominee by a vote of state convention delegates. That happens at the South Dakota Republican State Convention, June 25-27 at The Monument in Rapid City.