Meet the first woman to ever be elected Prosecuting Attorney in Jackson County

• Video shows Kelsey Guernsey, Jackson County's Prosecutor-elect.
• Kelsey Guernsey is the first woman to ever be elected into this position, by a vote of 8,975 to 6,991 in the August election.
• Guernsey says she will continue tackling Jackson's big issues: gun violence, drug use, and assault on vulnerable populations, but with a new perspective, as the first woman to ever be in this role.

"I'm excited for the work that lies ahead," says Kelsey Guernsey, Jackson County's new Prosecutor-elect. As a graduate of MSU and Cooley Law School, Guernsey has deep roots in Jackson. She says, "I'm born and raised in this community. It's the community I'm raising my son in. It's a community I hold very near and dear to my heart."
Guernsey is making history in her hometown: the first female County Prosecutor. "I have gotten to work for female judges. I have gotten to work with female detectives. There's all sorts of women moving up in these ranks with me," says Guernsey.

Guernsey says the issues the county faces, gun violence, drug use, and assaults on vulnerable people, are not new. However, she hopes to tackle those issues with a new perspective. "I really think a perspective I bring to the table is not just to be reactive to crimes, but what, as an elected prosecutor, can I be to be proactive?" she states.

Jerry Jarzynka has held this position for 12 years, and his term ends December 31. He shares, "She's going to build on what we've accomplished here in the last 12 years, and she's going to add to it. My expectation is that she's going to do better. She's going to do different things that will benefit the public."

That difference will start right here, in her hometown, come 2025.

"I think this position, and what I can bring to the table, can make a difference in this community, and I'm really excited for the opportunity," says Guernsey.

View the August election results here.

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