Grand Traverse County Prosecuting Attorney Bob Cooney announced Thursday he will run for 86th District Court, aiming to fill a vacancy created by retiring Judge Thomas J. Phillips. The seat covers Antrim, Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties.

“I have received a great deal of encouragement from residents of all three counties to run for this position," Cooney said in a statement. "I've been a tough but fair prosecutor, and I believe my experience has prepared me well to make a significant contribution to the 86th District." 

Cooney began serving as assistant prosecutor for Grand Traverse County in 1993 and later became deputy civil counsel. He was elected county prosecutor in 2012 and re-elected in 2016. Cooney has practiced law for 27 years and is a former attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals, according to his resume. He earned his J.D. from Detroit College of Law and his B.S. in electrical engineering from Michigan Technological University. Cooney has served on the board of directors for the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan (PAAM) and Michigan Association of Treatment Court Professionals (MATCP) and is a member of the National District Attorneys Association, Fight Crime - Invest in Kids Michigan, the State Bar of Michigan, and the Grand Traverse-Leelanau-Antrim Bar Association.

In a website launched for his campaign, Cooney wrote: "If elected, I will be humbled and honored to continue as a public servant in a new capacity, and solemnly follow the oath of office to uphold the Constitution and the laws of Michigan, just as I have done throughout my professional career."