Waller won’t seek re-election

Ending an unprecedented run in the office of Lake County State’s Attorney, Michael Waller announced Friday that he will not seek re-election next year.

Waller will have served 22 years and three months as the county’s top prosecutor when his current term ends in December 2012, more than 10 years longer than any other person to hold the office, according to county records.

“I have decided after a great deal of thought that I am not going to run again,” Waller said in his office in the Lake County building. “The time is right for me to move on.”

Appointed state’s attorney in 1990, Waller mounted five successful campaigns for the office between 1992 and 2008.

His exit from the 2012 race sets the stage for the first Lake County state’s attorney’s office contest since 1968 in which an incumbent will not be running.

Two candidates, one Democrat and one Republican, have already declared their intentions to run, and leaders of both parties predicted Friday they will have company.

“It is going to be quite interesting, I believe there will be several candidates from both parties getting into the race,” said State Sen. Terry Link, chairman of the Lake County Democratic Party. “There is a definite interest in the office on the Democratic side.” Link said he believed it would cost $100,000 or more for a candidate to wage successful primary and general election campaigns.

David Stolman, the Republican chairman of the Lake County Board, said he has heard statements of interest from several people in his party.

“From what I have heard, it will be a wide-open field,” Stolman said. “I think the people of Lake County should be looking for a candidate to continue Mike Waller’s outstanding dedication to openness in government and a willingness to work together with other people in government.”

In his tenure, Waller was instrumental in establishing the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force and Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team, which combine officers from several jurisdictions to investigate criminal activity and traffic accidents.

Specialized teams of prosecutors handling drug and computer crimes were established in Waller’s office, and he was also a force behind the creation of countywide panels of experts in the fields of domestic violence, sex crimes and juvenile justice.

Waller said Friday he is looking forward to keeping busy once he heads into retirement just a few months shy of his 65th birthday.

“I plan to stay active, either in a part-time role or with a not-for profit organization,” he said. “It has been a great honor and privilege to serve as state’s attorney, and I want to contribute in some way once this part of my life is over.”

Waller will also be able to devote more time to his family, along with his wife, former Lake County Circuit Judge Jane Waller, who retired in 2008.

The couple already has a 3-year-old grandson and Waller said Friday he is expecting another grandchild this October.