Veteran Deputy Prosecutor and Former Seattle Police Officer Vie for Snohomish County Prosecutor

The race to become Snohomish County's next prosecuting attorney features a longtime local deputy prosecutor facing a former police officer who is presenting himself as a tough-on-crime alternative. The contest is open because Prosecutor Adam Cornell chose not to seek re-election after one term, leaving Jason Cummings and Brett Rogers on the ballot.

Cummings, a 51-year-old Democrat from Edmonds, is the chief civil deputy in the prosecutor's office, a post he has held for 15 years. Deputy prosecutor is the only job he has ever had, starting in King County, then Kitsap County, and for the past 24 years in Snohomish County. He says his familiarity with the office's budget would ease a transition into the top job.

Rogers, 52, is a Republican from Lake Stevens who spent years as a Seattle police officer, working as a patrol officer, sergeant and internal investigator. He earned his law degree from Seattle University while employed by the department, but he has never prosecuted a criminal case. He argues his policing background offers a "fresh perspective." He lost a 2020 race for state attorney general, taking 12 percent of the primary vote, and a closer race for the Lake Stevens School Board last year.

The office carries considerable weight. Many in the legal field regard prosecutors as more powerful than judges, since they decide which cases merit criminal charges, oversee the county's civil attorneys and help shape local justice policy. The role has grown more important as COVID-19 disrupted the justice system and produced backlogs thousands of cases long, leaving defendants and victims waiting years for resolution. Cornell has asked the County Council to fund four additional deputy prosecutors to help reduce that burden.

Cummings says experience rather than politics would guide him. "I really think politics should never play a role in the prosecutor's office," he told The Daily Herald. He is helping lead an office data initiative examining possible disparities in the local criminal justice system, with results expected next month. He also wants to address the "root causes" of crime by expanding the Therapeutic Alternatives to Prosecution program and urging the state to boost resources for people with mental illness or substance use disorder.

Rogers wants the office to charge suspects more quickly, argue for longer sentences and press judges for higher bail, saying, "Things are trending in the wrong direction." He acknowledged the view that the county cannot arrest its way out of the problem, but said an incarcerated person is not victimizing others or straining community resources during that time. He supports existing alternatives to prosecution but believes they should have limits to ensure accountability, and he says he wants more transparency from the office. Earlier in his police career, Rogers and another officer fatally shot Shawn Maxwell after a traffic stop in Seattle; the officers said Maxwell was wielding a sword. Rogers says the shooting led him to law school, and that he later sat on the department's use of force review board.

In the August primary, which drew less than 40 percent of registered voters, Cummings won more than 57 percent of the vote. Because the two were the only candidates, the primary worked largely as a straw poll for the general election.

Cummings has also out-raised his opponent by a wide margin, collecting more than $140,000 compared with more than $45,500 for Rogers, according to state Public Disclosure Commission data. Cummings's endorsements include County Executive Dave Somers, Cornell, Everett Police Chief Dan Templeman and County Council members Megan Dunn, Nate Nehring and Sam Low. Rogers's backers include state Rep. Robert Sutherland, Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine and Lynnwood City Council member Jim Smith.

Snohomish County voters should receive ballots this week. They can use the county's drop boxes or mail them without a stamp, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day, Nov. 8.