Lyon County deputy district attorney running for Storey County DA position

A Lyon County deputy district attorney is running for office in Storey County.

Michael Bongard, 41, is taking on District Attorney Harold Swafford and challenger Carson City deputy district attorney Anne Langer at the primary election in August.

"I like being a prosecutor in rural communities and want the challenge of being the district attorney," he said. "I love the picturesque area up in Storey County."

Bongard received his law degree from Creighton University in Omaha and also holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Marquette University in Milwaukee.

He said he initially planned on going into business law, but once he attended the criminal law classes, "I got hooked."

Bongard has been a deputy district attorney since he began his career in Alamogordo, N.M., in 1995.

From there he took a position with the Las Cruces, N.M., DA's office where he prosecuted felony and juvenile drug cases, taught law enforcement academy classes for the Las Cruces Police Department and the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office, and appeared for the district attorney's office in the juvenile drug court.

Since 2003, Bongard has been handling juvenile and child support enforcement for the Lyon County District Attorney's Office.

The Milwaukee born and raised Bongard now lives in Yerington where, apart from his prosecutor's duties, he is a member of the Mason Valley Volunteer Fire Department, and officiates youth sports for high school baseball and football. and is a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo for which he is currently testing to become an instructor.

In the coming weeks, he said, he aims to introduce himself around Virginia City.

"I plan on going out and knocking on doors and I'll be attending as many events as I can to let the voters get to know me," he said. "The opportunity to work up there would be a great challenge and also rewarding."

The primary election is Aug. 15 with the general election Nov. 7.

• Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.