10-year veteran prosecutor plans to run for Benton County top spot
A deputy prosecutor is aiming to take his boss’s job after the end of his term.
Ryan Lukson, a former Richland mayor, current city councilman and civil deputy at the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office, sent out a notice about his plan to run for the top job. An official announcement event is scheduled for Monday. He plans to run as a Republican.
The announcement comes less than a week after longtime Prosecutor Andy Miller announced his plan to retire at the end of his term.
A 10-year veteran with the prosecutor’s office, Lukson is the county’s chief litigator and has worked directly with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and the jail.
In addition, Lukson was elected to the Richland City Council in 2017, and has served as the city’s mayor.
His experience consulting county officials as an attorney, and his time working with city officials during the COVID-19 pandemic has let him build the relationships he will need to bring the community together, he said.
It’s an important trait to have as the county and cities look at renewing the Public Safety Sales Tax in 2024. The 0.3% sales tax was approved in 2014 for 10 years, and has proven to be a boon for law enforcement.
It has funded mental health and drug courts, the Metro Drug Task Force and prosecutor and police positions.
While Lukson has experience in courtrooms handling civil cases, his career hasn’t extended into felony trials. He does plan to work closer with the felony division to gain experience in that area.
“We have a really outstanding felony division,” Lukson said. “I think we have a great office.”
He wants to keep the office doing the great work it is already doing, he said.
What he wants to see is more resources, including those aimed at expanding drug court, veterans court and mental health court.
“I think we do a great job with what we have,” he said. “I think we need more resources. I would like to partner with the sheriff to secure those.”
As part of his announcement, he promised to continue putting victims first and supporting “the best and most passionate prosecutor’s office in the state.”
Lukson is a Richland High graduate, who went on to the University of Washington. He graduated from Florida State University law school and after a year of practicing corporate law, he returned to the Tri-Cities.
He has two children, a 4-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son.
The deputy prosecutor already has one challenger for the position. Last week, Richland lawyer Eric Eisinger registered with the Washington state Public Disclosure commission to campaign for Benton County prosecutor. He identified himself as a Republican.