LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County’s district attorney said he intends to seek a seat on the Lake County Superior Court bench.

District Attorney Don Anderson announced his candidacy for superior court judge to his staff on Wednesday at his department’s annual Christmas party.

Last month, Anderson had told Lake County News that he intended to seek a third term at the same time that Kelseyville attorney Steven Brown announced he would challenge Anderson for the district attorney’s job in 2018: http://bit.ly/2AG6yPF.

However, since then, Judge Stephen Hedstrom announced that he will not seek reelection in 2018.

Immediately after that announcement from Hedstrom, local attorney J. David Markham – one of the administrators of Lake County’s indigent defense contract – announced he would seek Hedstrom’s Department 4 seat, as Lake County News has reported.

Then came Anderson’s announcement this week of his decision to run for judge.

Anderson said this was the most difficult decision he has had to make in his seven-year tenure at the District Attorney’s Office.

“I have faced a lot of challenges over the past seven years. I have met those challenges and accomplished a lot along the way. But now it is time for me to move on and face new challenges for the betterment of the community, my loved ones and myself,” he said.

“When I took over leadership at the District Attorney’s Office in January of 2011, the department needed new direction,” Anderson said. “Changes need to be made to improve the efficiency of the department and modernize the prosecution of crime in Lake County that is consistent with the changes in the law. My philosophy is to always aggressively prosecute crime, but to keep a balance between understanding those who commit criminal acts and the compassion that is due their victims. When you can keep that balance then justice can be done.”

Anderson cited accomplishments including increasing the District Attorney’s Office conviction rate from 66 percent to 87 percent while still taking more cases to trial.

He received national recognition for establishing the country’s first ever perjury intervention unit; created a program that has contributed about $250,000 to local charities; and modernized crime scene investigations.

In addition, he has personally prosecuted many homicide and high profile cases himself.

In 2014 Anderson received the California Narcotic Officers' Association Region One prosecutor of the year award, and last month received the California Prosecutor of the Year award for lifetime achievement in the administration of justice and law enforcement.

Anderson started his career as a Lake County Deputy sheriff, working for 15 years in patrol, narcotics and major crime investigations.

He was a private attorney for 20 years and practiced civil, family and criminal law.

During his career he has acted as a judge pro tem, judicial arbitrator and administrative law judge.

For the past seven years he has been the elected district attorney for Lake County.

“As a judge I can take my temperament and experience and apply it to the problems that are facing our county, the courts and the people,” Anderson said.