KING COUNTY, WA — With nearly a year left in his fourth term, King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg announced Friday that he will not seek reelection after nearly 15 years at the top post and 37 years in the prosecutor’s office.

Satterberg posted an official announcement on his YouTube page Friday morning, reflecting on his lengthy career and looking ahead to his final year in office.

“After four terms, I have decided to not seek re-election this year,” Satterberg said. “Serving in this office has been an extraordinary privilege for me, and being the elected [prosecuting attorney] is the best job that I could ever have, but it’s not the only thing that I ever want to do with my life.”

Satterberg joined the prosecutor’s office as an intern in 1984, before he was hired as a deputy prosecutor in 1985. Five years later, he was appointed the chief of staff for former prosecuting attorney Norm Maleng. As The Seattle Times reports, Satterberg was appointed interim King County prosecutor after Maleng’s death in 2007 and won an election to serve out the rest of that term, followed by three more successful reelection bids.

While begins to look toward the future, Satterberg said he remains intensely focused on serving out the rest of his term.

“For the remainder of 2022, and for many years beyond, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will be a public law office that expects excellence, embraces innovation and lives up to its mission statement: to do justice for the people of King County,” Satterberg said. “Thank you for this unique opportunity to spend my entire career here in this office. Every day has been a privilege, and I will embrace each remaining day as your Prosecuting Attorney until I retire on Dec. 31, 2022.”

While the filing deadline for those seeking the office is still five months away, Satterberg’s current chief of staff, Leesa Manion, wasted no time entering the race with an announcement Friday, with the outgoing prosecutor’s blessing.

“No one understands the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office better than Leesa, not only how it operates but the potential for what it can be,” Satterberg said. “She can be a visionary for the future of the office, and is uniquely positioned to help the amazing team of professionals she leads every day — and the people we serve — through challenging times.

According to her official announcement, Manion’s campaign has also received early support from former Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best and former King County Sheriff Sue Rahr. Manion has worked as Satterberg’s chief of staff for 15 years and has worked within the office for 27 years.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office operates on an $80 million budget with a staff of about 600 people.