Benton County prosecutor retiring after 36 years, 9 elections and countless challenging cases

After winning nine elections and serving Benton County for 36 years, Prosecutor Andy Miller has decided to retire.

Miller, 68, is the senior prosecutor in Washington state, having served longer than any other sitting prosecutor.

He also is the lone elected Democrat in the Tri-Cities and possibly across Southeastern Washington.

Miller opted to make his announcement Tuesday in the new Benton County Administration Building in Kennewick.

He said he picked a public facility to keep politics out of it. That way the focus was on the law enforcement officers, advocacy groups, loved ones of murder victims and overall whole community who allowed him to be the county’s prosecutor for so long, said Miller.

It was standing-room only in the commissioner’s conference room, with about 200 people in attendance. At least 40 spilled out into the hallway.

“I love my job and I am very passionate about doing the job right ...,” Miller told the Tri-City Herald. “But I do think the job takes a toll, and I do think that I’m at a point in my life where I can enjoy some retirement. I just think that this is the time to go.”

Bittersweet decision

Miller said while he started telling colleagues of his decision in December, it’s still bittersweet.

There is a lot of work left to do before his current term is over at the end of this year, especially with the backlog of cases from the COVID pandemic’s trial moratorium and the recent rash of violent crimes in the Tri-Cities.

He also worries about the office’s continuing difficulty in hiring more prosecutors, and that some of the hard work he and his deputies have put into their cases can be undone by new sentencing laws and procedures.

Miller said he has established a rapport and a good amount of trust with family members on some of the office’s high-profile cases, so he spent Monday talking with them about his retirement plans before they found out from other sources.

“Depending on what happens, I certainly would be available after my term ends to help finish those cases, if I’m asked” to take on a special prosecutor role, he told the Herald.

He is ready to step back from it all and do more traveling, hiking, open-water swimming, reading and volunteering.

“I feel like I’ve made a difference to some of the families I’ve worked with over the years,” said Miller. “Our office has done some great things with our therapeutic courts, and I’m especially proud of the Kids Haven program where we have a partnership with (Support, Advocacy & Resource Center) and the kids are interviewed in a kid-friendly interview room and recorded and they’re done by a professional trained child interviewer.

“I think we’ve accomplished a lot and I love the job ... but I’m ready to turn the reins over to somebody else.”

And Miller said he can’t overlook the pride he has for all employees who’ve come through his office, past and present, and their push to ensure open courtrooms for the public.

Prosecutor’s office

Miller, who grew up in Benton County, moved back to the area fresh out of law school to work in the prosecutor’s office.

He was a deputy prosecutor for six years before running for prosecutor in 1986 with the retirement of Curt Ludwig.

That was his first contested election, with Miller besting attorney Ray Whitlow for the spot. Miller was challenged in 1990 by lawyer Carl Sonderman.

Over the next seven terms, the prosecutor has not drawn a challenger on the ballot.

He believes one reason other lawyers opted not to run against him over the last three decades is because the consensus was that he was doing a good job, and for that he owes the good relationship to his bosses — the people who have elected him, he said.

While Miller has been re-elected over and over in a vastly conservative area, he said he doesn’t think the elected prosecutor should be a partisan position.

He added that it did give him some pause not knowing what will happen to the office once he leaves, but recognizes that politics already are so polarizing, on both sides.

“I think that it cuts both ways. I think there are problems in Seattle, and you essentially have one-party rule in King County, and I think we’re getting to one-party rule in Eastern Washington. And I don’t think either is good,” said Miller. “I believe in us being transparent and accountability, and I believe having elections is important.”

“I kind of feel like I’m a good example that Republicans and Democrats can work together. I have gotten a lot of support from Republicans over my time (in office),” he continued. “I am worried that things are getting too partisan and too polarized right now. I hope we’re going to get more people that can work across the aisles and get things done.”

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.

Candidate filing week in Washington state is May 16-20.

This story was originally published March 2, 2022 at 11:37 AM.