With nearly 25 years of experience as a prosecutor, including 11 years in the elite Major Crimes Division, and now the Deputy-In-Charge of the East LA Office, Deputy District Attorney John McKinney has officially announced he will run for Los Angeles County District Attorney in 2024 and challenge incumbent George Gascón.
“It is clear the criminal justice system in Los Angeles County needs to change,” McKinney said of his announcement to run for LA County District Attorney. “When I talk with everyday Angelenos, many of them say they feel less safe than they did just a few years ago. I have the experience, knowledge, and skills to bring balance to an organization that has moved away from public safety and supporting victims over the last several years.”
In 1998, former LA District Attorney Gil Garcetti hired McKinney as a prosecutor. Since then, he has served four district attorneys, including Garcetti, Steve Cooley, Jackie Lacey, and Gascón. McKinney made headlines recently as the lead prosecutor in the murder of American rapper and businessman Nipsey Hussle who was murdered in 2019 by Eric Holder Jr. Holder was convicted of first-degree murder in July 2022 and given a sentence recommended by McKinney of 60 years to life.
The career frontline prosecutor has branded his philosophy “proportional justice” to ensure public safety by treating each case and each person uniquely. McKinney has been a vocal critic of George Gascón and his policies from the beginning. McKinney risked his career when he boldly delivered a speech at the Hall of Justice on December 31, 2020, warning that Gascon’s policies would wreak havoc on the community and endanger innocent victims.
“I am not running for District Attorney to offer platitudes to the failures and tragedies of our yesterdays; I am running for District Attorney to secure the future,” added McKinney.
McKinney’s life, from the death of both parents by age five to navigating a minefield of crime and violence during the crack cocaine epidemic to the scholarly halls of the UCLA School of Law, helped prepare him to lead the nation’s largest local criminal justice system.
For more information about the McKinney campaign, visit McKinney4LA.com or contact the media team at media@mckinney4la.com.
