Matt Little, 37, the former State Senator for Southern Dakota County, has announced his candidacy for Dakota County Attorney vowing to fight for “Safety and Justice for All.”

“The most important job of the County Attorney is to keep people safe. With the rise in violent crimes and carjackings, people need a leader who will focus the County Attorney’s office on countering these dangerous trends,” Little said. During his tenure as the Mayor of Lakeville, Little secured increased funding for local law enforcement, and established an Electronic Crimes Lab to protect children and seniors from online crimes.

“Victims and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault need an advocate to bring them justice,” Little continued. In the Senate, he fought for legislation that would ensure each allegation of sexual assault was thoroughly investigated. “As County Attorney, I’ll make sure each allegation is heard, investigated, and prosecuted accordingly.”

Little graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School, magna cum laude. While in school, Little clerked for the Dakota County Attorney’s office. After graduating, he worked for the law firms of Sieben Edmunds Miller and Klemp and Stanton, PLLC before opening his own law firm in 2015. He’s a general practice attorney that focuses on litigation.

Little also views the office as an opportunity to heal and rehabilitate those who deserve a second chance. “Oftentimes, non-violent crimes are committed due to addiction. We need to go after the root causes of people’s behavior and get them the treatment they need. In addition, Dakota County must have a dedicated Veterans Court to give those who’ve served this country an opportunity to put their lives back together. And, we have to undo the harmful impacts of our disparate marijuana laws.”

During his time in the State Senate, Little was heavily involved in criminal justice and violence prevention issues. He co-authored the SMART Center bill, funding the Dakota County Safety and Mental Health Response Training Center to provide law enforcement with de-escalation tactics, he pushed for background checks and red flag laws to reduce gun violence, and authored legislation to protect children from abusive parents.

Having worked with federal, state, and local leaders for over a decade, Little boasts widespread support from across the County. His campaign for County Attorney is endorsed by U.S. Representative Angie Craig, Randolph Mayor Robert Appelgren, Rep. Robert Bierman, Sen. Karla Bigham, Rep. Kaela Berg, Sen. Greg Clausen, South St. Paul Mayor Jimmy Francis, Rep. Jess Hanson, Farmington Mayor Joshua Hoyt, Sen. Matt Klein, fmr Rep. Alice Mann, Rep. Sandy Masin and fmr Rep. Phil Sterner.