COEUR d'ALENE - KootenaiCounty Prosecutor Barry McHugh announced his campaign for re-election on Wednesday, with a promise for renewed focus on protecting county citizens and maintaining a trim office budget.

"I know my work affects the quality of life for citizens of Kootenai County and their safety," McHugh said, addressing a gathering of colleagues, family and state legislators at the county Administration Building. "I take these responsibilities and these challenges seriously."

McHugh, in the third year of his first term, pointed to his accomplishments so far in office.

After learning that individuals driving under the influence resist a breath test on repeat offenses, he said, he has helped arrange for suspects to get blood drawn at Kootenai Medical Center.

This provides evidence "to prove or disprove" if they're breaking the law, he said.

The extra step has expedited prosecution of cases and, he believes, increased safety on the roads.

McHugh also recently procured a grant of nearly $500,000 to create a task force for investigating sex offenders in the five northern counties.

"That task force is about to be launched," he said. "I look forward to working with its employees and to see it succeed."

He pointed to cases effectively prosecuted under his watch, like the Tankovich brothers' hate crime conviction.

"What we've tried to do is make sure we have the most effective team going to trial," McHugh said, adding that multiple attorneys or extra training is sometimes warranted.

The prosecutor has striven to make his office more accessible to law enforcement and the public, he said, by adding more phone lines and increasing the hours they're open.

He is focused on an efficiency in the office, he added. His 2011 budget was lower than the office's 2009 budget, he said.

"I believe in Republican principles, including strong law enforcement and efficient use of taxpayer dollars," McHugh said.

If re-elected, McHugh will continue pursuing cost-trimming measures at the office, he said, adding that he expects the office to go paperless soon.

His department will also focus on changing to keep up with evolving criminal activities, he said, like the recent rash of home invasions.

"There's more to be done," he said.

The next county elections will be in November, 2012.

McHugh has previously served as the assistant city attorney in Coeur d'Alene, deputy prosecutor for the county and assistant attorney general in the criminal division.

He has also worked as the assistant U.S. attorney in the Coeur d'Alene office, and ran a private practice for several years before being elected prosecutor in 2009.

The Republican holds an accounting degree from Boise State and a law degree from the University of Idaho.

McHugh has three grown children with his wife, Teresa, an artist.

"I'm just really proud of him," his wife said after the announcement. "The county is lucky to have someone of his caliber and heart working for them."

Rep. Marge Chadderdon, R-Coeur d'Alene, also present at McHugh's announcement, said the prosecutor has her full support.

"I think he's got great background," Chadderdon said. "He certainly has the prerequisites for coming back home and tackling the job we all take for granted."