Sim Gill will try again.
Salt Lake City's chief prosecutor, who was nipped at the polls three years ago by eventual Salt Lake County District Attorney Lohra Miller, wants a rematch.
Gill, a Democrat, and his supporters will storm the steps of the Republican D.A.'s Office this morning to formally launch the campaign. Gill pledges to make decisions based on facts, not relationships.
"We need a leader," he said, "who places justice over politics and can restore the public's confidence in the office."
Gill has plenty of motivation -- and ammunition -- after getting edged by Miller in November 2006. That contest featured questions about $24,000 in what critics called "proxy" campaign donations Miller accepted from employees of developer -- and Miller supporter -- Dell Loy Hansen.
Prosecutors decided that the county ordinance that allegedly violated with these donations contained no criminal penalty and scrapped the probe.
Since taking office, Miller has come under fire for firing a veteran prosecutor (later reinstated), bloating her public-relations staff and lacking a business license at her old law firm. She also has battled allegations that she allowed underage drinking and drug use during parties in her South Jordan home.
This month, Miller, who is seeking a second term, was criticized for hiring three laid-off employees from her husband's law firm without publicly advertising the positions. Officials note the jobs legally didn't need to be posted, but some questioned the ethics of the hires.
"When I ran against Miller four years ago, I warned people about her lack of prosecution experience," said Gill, who has served as a prosecutor for the D.A.'s Office, Layton and Salt Lake City for more than 15 years. "Still, I think we all were hopeful she would take seriously the tremendous responsibility of the D.A.'s Office. Instead, we've been astonished at her lack of integrity and fair play."
Gill faces a fight for his own party's nomination against fellow Democrat Greg Skordas, a veteran defense attorney who announced his bid for D.A. earlier this month.
"The people of Salt Lake County," Skordas said in a statement, "deserve to have legal representation based on sound judgment, thoughtful priorities and the proper use of resources."
Skordas ran unsuccessfully for Utah attorney general in 2004 against Mark Shurtleff.
Gill's outdoor rally is scheduled today for 11 a.m. in front of D.A. offices on the northeast corner of 300 South and State Street.
