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PLAINS TWP. — For Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis, Thursday night brought a little bit of déjà vu.
The veteran prosecutor formally kicked off her run for a third term with a campaign gathering on the River Grille’s enclosed back deck, a location she knows well.
“It was November 2011, and just inside these doors, I found out that I won the position of district attorney. It was an exciting night. It was an amazing night,” Salavantis told the hushed crowd.
“Tonight feels so much better,” she continued to applause from a gathering that included fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, attorneys, elected officials, union representatives, friends and family.
Salavantis, 36, of Kingston, first confirmed her intent to seek re-election in a Monday interview with the Times Leader, discussing the accomplishments of her eight years in office and the programs she hopes to expand if voters give her another four.
Salavantis told supporters Thursday night she measures success based not just “on the number of arrests we’ve made or the trials we’ve won,” but by “how many people we have helped over the years.”
She said her office remains tough on crime, but also looks for ways to help rehabilitate people who “may have made a mistake in life. They may be suffering from some type of substance abuse and have lost control of themselves and their lives.”
“I’m not standing here today claiming everything is perfect in Luzerne County,” Salavantis added, citing the ongoing opioid epidemic and the scourge of illegal drugs.
“But know that I promise you … we promise to make sure we are protecting all the residents in Luzerne County,” she said. “We will enforce the law and we will look out for victims no matter what.”
In an interview after her speech, Salavantis spoke in more detail about some of her goals.
She said she would like to see the county’s drug task force, which draws on officers from different agencies, become its own entity with full-time officers.
Salavantis also said she is researching options for creation of a countywide SWAT team, something that could be valuable in many parts of the county, especially those without local police coverage.
“I want to make sure that we are fully equipped to handle any situation in Luzerne County,” Salavantis said.
As of Thursday, no other Democratic or Republican candidates had thrown their hats into the ring to challenge the incumbent DA.
Salavantis said she didn’t know of any challengers, but “I’m working as if there are.”
“And if there aren’t, I think that it tells you how people feel about about our administration, what we’re doing in the office, what law enforcement is doing in the community,” she added.