Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem will retire at end of March

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Olmsted County Attorney to retire

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(ABC 6 News) — Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem will retire at the end of March after almost two decades of service, according to a release.

Ostrem began his tenure as attorney in 2007, the release said. His current term would expire in January of 2027.

“Leading this office, having the opportunity to be a public safety and judicial system leader in this community, has been the experience of a lifetime,” Ostrem said, according to the release. “In this office, I have worked with some of the most talented attorneys in the state.”

Nearly two decades, all filled with memories Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem says he is proud of.

“Drug court was my platform, that was a big deal, it took us awhile to get there, but we’re changing lives with drug court and I’m so proud of that,” Ostrem said.

His reasoning for walking away is simple.

“Family’s a big deal and I want to be able to spend time with my family.”

The Olmsted County Board will be responsible for filling his position for the remaining 21 months of his term.

They can do this by appointing someone to the role, or calling for a special election.

“It gives everybody in the community a chance to think about who it is they want to elect in 2026 to take office in 2027.”

As Ostrem’s final days near, there has been many cases that have stood out to him throughout his career from domestic violence, to DWI’s, to cases dealing with guns and fentanyl.

“Those are the types of things that I think about as being impactful and memorable not because I was so successful at it, but because there’s things that we work so hard on in our community and try to make change.”

Even though the end is in sight, Ostrem says he’s still focused on the work yet to be complete and the future of the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office.

“I’ve got two months for myself to transition, to help the office continue to transition, I’m going to be writing notes like crazy for my successor.”