Bill Sherman, 39, has not been around long in the King County Prosecutor's Office when compared to his opponent (and boss), interim King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg, but what he lacks in experience he counters with innovative ideas and a passion for helping those most vulnerable — kids, victims of crime and the elderly.

A Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in the Domestic Violence Unit of the King County Prosecutor's Office, Sherman has worked both in the private sector and in the public sector.

He worked in Washington, D.C. on environmental issues, drafting policy to implement the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the Clean Water Act. Following this, Sherman worked for Al Gore and then in the Department of the Interior as a special assistant to the Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbit for three years.

"I spent a lot of time in the earlier part of that job going to Portland and Seattle," Sherman said. "I worked on mining law reform and issues related to Indian tribes. At the Interior Department I was tasked with reorganizing the office of the Secretary of the Interior, which is a 700-person department."

Sherman decided it was time for reform.

"What we found when we looked at the bureaucracy and how it had built up and the red tape with these standard operations [is] that [it] didn't make any sense, so we consolidated redundant functions and saved about $10 million a year."

Sherman hopes to do for the King County Prosecutor's Office what he was able to do for the Department of Interior. According to Sherman's Web site, "cutting bureaucracy to focus resources on front-line prosecutors and improving diversity in the office" will be one of his goals.

Sherman worked for the Seattle law firm Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, representing the victims of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, like canary workers and fishermen.

Last year he ran for state Legislature in the 43rd district.

"I ran because Washington has a part time legislature so I could do both, work there and in the prosecutor's office, a job I love," he said.

Though he lost, the experience of talking to voters and listening to their views proved to be invaluable.

"I learned what is of interest and what is of concern to the people of King County," Sherman said.

Named a "Rising Star" in Washington Law and Politics in 2005 and editor-in-chief of the Michigan Law Review while at University of Michigan Law School, Sherman feels he is ready to be King County Prosecutor.

"[My opponent] has not tried a case in 17 years, before DNA evidence and complex fraud against seniors. Things have changed since 1990, which is the last time my opponent has been in the courtroom. Having that experience really matters," Sherman said.

Sherman has pledged to personally handle one case a year.

In a 94.9 KUOW radio interview, Sherman explained why he feels that is important.

"It is essential the person who is the elected Prosecutor understands and respects the front line trial work that our deputies do," Sherman said.

Having a young family, Sherman says, also gives him a "special perspective."

"Sex offenders and juvenile justice is a personal issue to me, not just a bureaucratic issue. It really matters about the legacy to our kids," Sherman said.

After defeating Keith Scully in the Democratic primary, Sherman faces a tight race against Satterberg, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary, in this special election.

Sherman is optimistic about the outcome of the race.

"Satterberg has quite a lot more money, but I'd rather have people than money," Sherman said.

According to a KING 5 poll, Sherman does have more people, albeit narrowly. Among likely voters he is up by six points, 49 to 43 percent.

"I'm up by 26 points among those who have been victims of violent crimes," he said.

With endorsements from the Sierra Club (Sherman wants to start an environmental crimes unit), the King County Labor Council and both Senators Murray and Cantwell, Sherman hopes to solidify his lead in the coming weeks.

"I decided to run because if you believe you stand for something then you've got to be able to risk something for it," Sherman said. "Voters deserve to have someone committed to innovation, committed to environmental protection."

[Reach reporter Garrett Troy at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]