LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County’s longest-serving County Attorney, Mike O’Connell, is not seeking re-election in 2026. He made the announcement on Thursday and endorsed Sarah Martin for the office.

“I want the highest possible degree of competency and integrity to follow in this office when I’m gone. The County Attorney’s Office is too important-to me, personally, and to the people we serve-to retire from without a sound path forward,” O’Connell said in a Facebook post. “That’s why I’m fully supporting Sarah Martin for County Attorney as she seeks this office in 2026.”

Martin announced her campaign for Jefferson County Attorney on Thursday. Martin said she’s already raised $50,000 in donations in one week.

“I have proudly served this community for nearly 17 years as an Assistant County Attorney as both a prosecutor and a civil attorney. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to run this important office. I love this job and see every day how the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office serves our community,” Martin said in a Facebook post.

O’Connell was first appointed in 2008, and was elected to the office of County Attorney in 2010, according to the Louisville Metro Government website. He was re-elected in 2014, 2018 and 2022.

Before becoming County Attorney, O’Connell was both a District and Circuit Court judge before returning to private practice. He has served as a member of the Board of Governors for the Kentucky Bar Association and as a member of the association’s ethics committee.