Coconino County attorney won’t seek reelection in 2024

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Coconino County Attorney Bill Ring says he won’t seek reelection next year, but he isn’t ruling out a run for another political office.

Ring told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he will pursue other opportunities potentially tied to real estate development or legal work, or possibly run for Congress.

Ring, a Democrat, is in his second four-year term as Coconino County attorney and has worked for the office for 22 years. He ran unopposed in 2020 for the top job. His term ends in December 2024.

The challenge for the office going forward, he said, will be expanding to fit the county’s needs. Much of the caseload involves defendants and victims who don’t live in Coconino County, he said.

“It’s too much to solve in 18 months, but I can get started on it, that’s for sure,” he said.

The county attorney’s office is responsible for prosecuting crimes committed in a jurisdiction that spans more than 18,660 square miles (48,330 square kilometers) of north-central Arizona — one of the largest counties in the U.S.

It takes in Flagstaff, Sedona, the Grand Canyon, vast expanses of national forest and tribal reservations that are big draws for tourism.