Blevins to seek Smyth's top prosecutor's seat in 2023 election

kAm%96 2DD:DE2?E 4@>>@?H62=E9’D 2EE@C?6J 6IA=2:?65 E92E 96 ?665D E@ D66 E96 D:EF2E:@?D E96J 6IA6C:6?46 2?5 E96 A6@A=6 E96J 6?4@F?E6C 7:CDE92?5] x? E96 4@FCE9@FD6[ 6G6CJE9:?8 :D 5:776C6?E :? E96 =:89E 52J[ 96 C67=64E65]k^Am

kAmq=6G:?D H2?ED $>JE9 r@F?EJ C6D:56?ED E@ <?@H E92E 96’== 3C:?8 DF49 4@>>:E>6?E E@ AF3=:4 D276EJ 2?5 D6CG:46 E@ E96 4@>>@?H62=E9’D 2EE@C?6J’D @77:46 D9@F=5 96 36 6=64E65 ?6IE J62C]k^Am

kAm~? E96 4@FCE9@FD6 DE6AD 2E ?@@? =2DE (65?6D52J[ q=6G:?D 2??@F?465 9:D 42?5:524J 7@C E96 A@DE :? E96 a_ab 86?6C2= 6=64E:@?] w6’D D66<:?8 E96 =@42= #6AF3=:42? !2CEJ’D ?@>:?2E:@?] q=6G:?D D2:5 96’D CF??:?8 2D 2 #6AF3=:42? 3642FD6 E92E’D H9@ 96 :D — “2 7:D42= 4@?D6CG2E:G6]”k^Am

kAmq=6G:?D 42>6 E@ E96 2??@F?46>6?E H:E9 E96 324<:?8 @7 9:D 3@DD[ s6>@4C2E #@J tG2?D[ H9@ A=2?D E@ C6E:C6 2E E96 6?5 @7 E9:D E6C>] tG2?D 92D D6CG65 2D 4@F?EJ’D 4@>>@?H62=E9’D 2EE@C?6J D:?46 `hgg]k^Am

kAm|@?52J[ tG2?D D92C65 9:D C62D@?:?8] w6 D2:5[ “x 92G6 7@==@H65 qF4<J’D =682= 42C66C DE2CE:?8 H:E9 2 a_`` >66E:?8 2E H9:49 H6 5:D4FDD65 9:D A=2?D 7@C =2H D49@@=] w6 E96? 5:5 E9C66 :?E6C?D9:AD :? E96 $>JE9 r@F?EJ r@>>@?H62=E9’D pEE@C?6J’D ~77:46 :? a_`c[ a_`d 2?5 a_`e H9:=6 96 2EE6?565 =2H D49@@=] (6 <6AE :? 4=@D6 E@F49 H9:=6 96 D6CG65 9:D 4@F?ECJ :? E96 p:C u@C46 2D 2? @77:46C :? E96 ypv r@CAD] (6 E2=<65 23@FE 42D6D 96 H2D AC@D64FE:?8[ D@>6 @7 E96> BF:E6 5:77:4F=E] x H2D 2=H2JD :>AC6DD65 H:E9 qF4<J’D H@C< 6E9:4[ 9:D D6?D6 @7 ;FDE:46 2?5 9:D 4@>A2DD:@?] %9C@F89@FE[ qF4<J 92D 366? 565:42E65 E@ 9:D 72>:=J 2?5 92D 2=H2JD H2?E65 E@ 4@>6 324< E@ $>JE9 r@F?EJ E@ D6CG6 9:D 9@>6 4@>>F?:EJ] x 5@ ?@E E9:?< J@F 4@F=5 2D< 7@C >@C6 :? 2 42?5:52E6 @C 2 4@>>@?H62=E9’D 2EE@C?6J]”k^Am

kAm{2H 6?7@C46>6?E @77:46CD 7C@> 6249 @7 E96 4@F?EJ’D 286?4:6D H6C6 AC6D6?E 7@C q=6G:?D’ 2??@F?46>6?E] $96C:77 r9:A $9F=6C DE@@5 3J q=6G:?D’ D:56[ 6?5@CD:?8 9:>]k^Am

kAmp7E6CH2C5[ $9F=6C D2:5 96 7F==J 324<D q=6G:?D] %96 D96C:77 6IA=2:?65[ “w6 :D =2H 2?5 @C56C]”k^Am

kAm(9:=6 $9F=6C D2:5 96 5@6D?’E A=2? E@ >2<6 2 7@C>2= 2??@F?46>6?E F?E:= 27E6C E96 }6H *62C[ 96 A=2?D E@ D66< C6\6=64E:@? 2?5 36=:6G6D 96 2?5 q=6G:?D H:== >2<6 FA 2 ;@:?E E:4<6E 4@>>:EE65 E@ AF3=:4 D276EJ]k^Am

kAm}6IE J62C H:== >2C< $9F=6C’D c_E9 J62C :? =2H 6?7@C46>6?E[ 3FE[ 96 D2:5[ “x DE:== H2<6 FA =@G:?8 H92E x 5@] xE’D 2== 23@FE D6CG:46 E@ >J 4@>>F?:EJ]”k^Am

kAm$9F=6C ?@E65 E92E 96 92D H@C<65 H:E9 tG2?D E9C@F89@FE 9:D 6?E:C6 42C66C] w6 56D4C:365 E92E @AA@CEF?:EJ 2D 2 AC:G:=686]k^Am

kAm(2E49:?8 9:D J@F?8 D@? }@29 (65?6D52J 2?5 ?@E:?8 9:D @E96C D@? {F42D[ q=6G:?D D2:5 E96J AFD9 9:D >@E:G2E:@? 7@C AF3=:4 D276EJ 6G6? 566A6C — “7@C E96 49:=5C6? H9@ =:G6 96C6 2?5 8@ E@ D49@@= 96C6]”k^Am

kAmx? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6[ 96 D2:5[ “|J E@A AC:@C:EJ H:== 2=H2JD 36 E@ D66< ;FDE:46 7:CDE :? 6G6CJ 42D6] x 2> 2 7:6C46 25G@42E6 7@C E96 >6? 2?5 H@>6? H9@ C:D< E96:C =:G6D 7@C @FC D276EJ] x A=6586 E@ <66A $>JE9 r@F?EJ D276 3J 4@>32EE:?8 4C:>6[ DEC6?8E96?:?8 =2H 6?7@C46>6?E A2CE?6CD9:AD[ 2?5 <66A:?8 4@>>F?:EJ 2E E96 962CE @7 >J H@C<]”k^Am

kAm}@E:?8 E96 62C=J 52E6 @7 9:D 2??@F?46>6?E 7@C E96 a_ab 42>A2:8?[ q=6G:?D D2:5[ “x 5@?’E E9:?< J@F 4@F=5 6G6C DE@A 42>A2:8?:?8 7@C E9:D ;@3]”k^Am

kAmx? =2H D49@@=[ q=6G:?D <?6H 96 H2?E65 E@ 36 2 AC@D64FE@C] w6 :?E6C?65 H:E9 tG2?D[ H9@ q=6G:?D 42==D 2 >6?E@C] “x 76=E 42==65 E@ 36 2 AC@D64FE@C[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAmq67@C6 96 2?DH6C65 E92E 42==[ 96 C6DA@?565 E@ 2?@E96C – E@ D6CG6 9:D 4@F?ECJ :? E96 &]$] p:C u@C46] $E:==[ 6G6? EH@ J62CD 28@ DE2E:@?65 :? p7892?:DE2?[ 96 DA@<6 23@FE D6CG:?8 $>JE9 r@F?EJ 2D :ED E@A AC@D64FE@C]k^Am

kAmq=6G:?D D6CG65 ?62C=J D:I J62CD 2D 2? @77:46C :? E96 &]$] p:C u@C46 2D 2 >:=:E2CJ AC@D64FE@C 2?5 4C:>:?2= 5676?D6 2EE@C?6J] w6 2=D@ D6CG65 2D 2 $A64:2= pDD:DE2?E &?:E65 $E2E6D pEE@C?6J[k^Am

kAmq67@C6 7F=7:==:?8 2?J @7 E9@D6 5FE:6D[ 96 ;@:?65 E96 p5H@=76 u:C6 s6A2CE>6?E 2D 2 G@=F?E66C 7:C67:89E6C 2?5 t|% :? a__g] }@H[ 96 :D D6CG:?8 @? E96 3@2C5 @7 5:C64E@CD 2E p5H@=76 u:C6] w6 :D 2=D@ 2 >6>36C @7 E96 4@==686 3@2C5 2E %96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 ':C8:?:2’D r@==686 2E (:D6 2?5 :D 24E:G6 :? E96 =@42= '6E6C2?D @7 u@C6:8? (2CD 2?5 p>6C:42? {68:@? A@DED]k^Am

kAmq=6G:?D 8C25F2E65 7C@> E96 $>JE9 r@F?EJ D49@@= DJDE6>] w6 :D 2? 25;F?4E AC@76DD@C 2E pAA2=249:2? $49@@= @7 {2H 2?5 2 >6>36C @7 E96 %6??6DD66 p:C }2E:@?2= vF2C5]k^Am

kAm(65?6D52J[ 9:D H:76[ z2E:6 y@[ ;@:?65 q=6G:?D 7@C E96 2??@F?46>6?E] $96 E62496D D64@?5 8C256 2E r9:=9@H:6 t=6>6?E2CJ $49@@=]k^Am

kAm“(6’C6 E9C:==65 E@ 7:?2==J 36 9@>6 2?5 C2:D:?8 @FC EH@ 3@JD[ }@29 2?5 {F42D[ :? E96 4@>>F?:EJ E92E 3F:=E FD[” D2:5 q=6G:?D]k^Am