Reagan Dunn, King County Council member and former federal prosecutor, has announced he will run for Washington state attorney general in 2012.

Dunn of Maple Valley, a former official at the U.S. Justice Department in Washington, D.C. and Assistant U.S. Attorney in Seattle, is seeking to succeed Rob McKenna, a two-term Republican Attorney General who recently announced his campaign for governor in a news release.

Dunn’s County Council district incudes part of Renton.

“I am running for Attorney General because I am concerned about the overall direction of Washington State Government and I believe we can do much better.  While Rob McKenna has done a very fine job as our AG, much more still needs to be done.  Our state faces significant challenges, including high unemployment, an unfavorable business climate for job creation, and crime levels that are unacceptable.”

Dunn also announced endorsements from the legal community, including current Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna, former Attorney General Ken Eikenberry, and five former United States Attorneys — Mike McKay, Jim McDevitt, Bill Hyslop, Jeff Sullivan and John McKay.

“Reagan Dunn brings the right balance of criminal and civil legal experience that our state needs in an Attorney General,” said Rob McKenna.  “His service as a federal prosecutor, work in private practice and experience as a regional leader on the King County Council make him the top candidate to be our next Attorney General, and I strongly endorse him.”

John McKay, a former United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington State (Seattle) said, “Reagan Dunn was an aggressive and highly effective federal prosecutor who will be an outstanding lawyer for the State of Washington.”