MontCo DA seeks seat at the bench

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PHOTO COURTESY OF FACEBOOK Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman will seek election for the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge.[/caption]

By Matt Schickling
Wire Staff Writer

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman announced that she would not seek a third term in her current position. She will instead run for common pleas judge in the Montgomery County Courthouse.

“It is truly an honor to serve as your DA. I am hopeful that I will have the opportunity to continue my commitment to public service in a different place,” she wrote to supporters on Facebook.

The lifelong Abington resident was elected the first female district attorney in Montgomery County in 2007, after 15 years as a prosecutor.

“The reason I made the decision is I need a new challenge,” she said in a Jan. 6 statement from her office. “I realize that I was looking for a change and looking for something new.”

That same day, Ferman’s second-in-command, Montgomery County First Assistant District Attorney Kevin Steele, announced he will be running for the position. Steele, a resident of Lower Merion, already set up a campaign page, www.steele5da.org, and is seeking endorsement from the Montgomery County Democratic Committee.

“Over the course of the last year, I’ve spent time meeting with people all over Montgomery County exploring what they were looking for in a district attorney. It is clear to me that they want someone with experience, vision and innovative skills to lead the office forward,” Steele said.

If elected, Steele, 47, would be the first Democrat to serve as Montgomery County District Attorney.

County Commissioner Bruce Castor, a former district attorney, is rumored to be exploring a run as a Republican for DA.