Dist. Atty. Christine Kenney announced Tuesday she would seek a third term as the county’s top prosecutor. Unlike the last election, she might face a challenger this time.

Kenney, a Republican, announced her candidacy in a news conference inside her office at the Douglas County Judicial & Law Enforcement Center, 111 E. 11th St. Surrounded by supporters including Sheriff Rick Trapp, former Sheriff Rex Johnson and members of her staff, Kenney said her work on issues such as gang control and elder abuse qualified her for another term.

“This job requires energy, enthusiasm and, just as importantly, compassion,” she said. “I believe that I possess the qualities that this job demands.”

Several attorneys said Tuesday they’d heard that Democrat Charles Branson, a local private-practice attorney, is a likely challenger. Branson, however, wasn’t willing to say whether he would run.

“We’re not ready to make a statement, but one will be coming in the near future,” he said.

Kenney oversees an office with 24 full-time employees and an annual budget of roughly $1.2 million. The office files more than 2,000 criminal cases per year.

She’s the third consecutive Republican to hold the office, which has been under GOP control since 1985. In her first candidacy in 1996, she won 50 percent of the vote against Democrat Dan Owen and independent Martin Miller. Four years ago, Kenney ran unopposed.

Kenney said that, at the beginning of her first term, gang activity was one of the major concerns in Lawrence. Today, because of aggressive police work, prosecution and community education, the problem isn’t nearly as great, she said.

6News video: Kenney announces re-election bid

She also cited her work prosecuting people for mistreating senior citizens, a category of crime that’s expected to grow in years ahead as the population ages.