Erika Oliphant announces re-election campaign for Monroe County Prosecutor
I am excited to share that I have filed for reelection as Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney in 2026. My vision for a third term builds on a number of accomplishments I have already made in the role. These achievements over the last seven years in office demonstrate my commitment to community safety, compassionate justice, and constitutional values.
In 2019, I secured additional STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors-Violence Against Women Act) Grant funding to increase capacity for the prosecution of sex and domestic violence crimes. Later, I secured an increase in VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) Grant funding to expand our victim assistance program to better serve victims of crime.
In 2019, the Child Support Program received CJAM’s Haines Turner Peacemaker Award for making contributions to social justice that heals and restores.
In 2020, I collaborated with Centerstone, local law enforcement, and other stakeholders to develop the Stride Crisis Center to divert those experiencing mental health or substance use crisis away from hospitals and jail.
In 2022, with grant funding from the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council, I developed the Monroe County High Tech Crime Unit (HTCU). In partnership with Ellettsville Police Department, the HTCU processes digital evidence to improve prosecution outcomes in 11 counties.
I was recognized by the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce with the 2022 Women Excel Bloomington award.
In 2022, in partnership with Indiana University, Lake County Prosecuting Attorney Bernard Carter, and Monroe County Branch NAACP, we secured an Arnold Ventures grant to study racial and ethnic disparities that result from prosecutorial decision-making. The three-year study is wrapping up this year. As part of that project, a dashboard will launch shortly to show demographic and other pertinent data reflected in the cases that come through our office. For this work, I was awarded the 2023 John L. Krauss Award for Public Policy Innovation from Indiana University’s Public Policy Institute. We are currently exploring ways to further fund and build upon this important work.
In 2024, I chaired the committee that planned and hosted the Monroe County Substance Use Disorder Awareness Commission’s biennial educational summit, “Building Recovery Through Connections.”
From June 2024 to June 2025, I served as Chair of the Indiana Prosecuting Attorney Council Board, bringing a Democrat voice to the table. I currently serve as Secretary of the Association of Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys, Inc. Board.
In 2025, I launched paperless case processing in the criminal division of the prosecutor’s office, creating efficiency in file building and access, establishing better documentation of discovery compliance, and saving paper and physical space.
Since taking office in 2019, I have been faced with the same staffing issues that law firms across the state suffer, and as a result, I have often managed these projects while personally handling a caseload and administering my office. It is a big job, but I remain up to the challenge of continuing to use creative solutions to improve prosecution outcomes in Monroe County.
As for the future, I have three main areas of focus: (1) training and retaining staff, as well as providing support for the secondary trauma that comes from constant exposure to evidence of violent crime and handling large caseloads in an adversarial system; (2) continuing to evaluate and expand diversion opportunities to reduce recidivism and collateral impacts of criminal convictions of nonviolent crimes; and (3) collaborating with other criminal justice actors to more timely resolve cases.
I hope that I can count on your support during the 2026 election cycle. Please email me at erikaoliphantforprosecutor@gmail.com if you would like to learn how to become involved in supporting my campaign for reelection in 2026. I am also open to questions and constructive criticism, should you have either.
Thank you for your vital service to the Democratic Party and the people of Monroe County, and thank you for your consideration!
