Chief Deputy District Attorney Kelly Brandon has announced she will seek election as Carson City District Attorney. This is Brandon’s first run for office.
“I grew up in Carson City and love that I get to serve my community every day. My goal in running for District Attorney is to continue that service, protect victims of crime, champion public safety, and ensure that justice is done in Carson City,” Brandon said.
Brandon has worked in the Carson City D.A.’s Office since 2018 after being hired by then-District Attorney Jason Woodbury. She was promoted through every rank, having served as a Deputy District Attorney, Senior Deputy District Attorney, Supervising Deputy District Attorney, and now as a Chief.
In her current position, she oversees the office’s victim services unit and the juvenile division which prosecutes delinquency cases and represents Carson City in child welfare proceedings.
Brandon said as a prosecutor, she has prosecuted all types of crimes, from traffic infractions to armed robbery and child sexual assault. She has also worked “on-call” assisting law enforcement with warrants and legal guidance at all hours of the night.
When it comes to supporting victims, Brandon emphasized her hands-on experience.
“During periods of short staffing, I have volunteered to step into the role of a victim/witness coordinator in addition to my prosecution duties. I still regularly communicate with victims of unspeakable crimes, often just hours after they were victimized.”
Brandon said this experience has been “challenging, but also incredibly eye-opening,” explaining, “Every victim is different, but the common denominator is their need to see accountability. They can usually come to accept the challenges and frustrations of an offender-centric criminal justice process as long as they can trust that the final outcome will address the perpetrator’s responsibility for the harm they caused.”
Brandon said her work with victims “motivates me to put in whatever effort is required to seek justice for those who are most impacted by a criminal act and reminds me that every decision the office makes has significant, real-life consequences for people who are going through the worst time of their lives.”
She added, “We’ve all heard many candidates make a lot of promises, some kept, others not. I make only one. You won’t ever see drive-through justice in an office I run.”
Brandon’s campaign website is electkellybrandon.com.
