John M. Haroldson was elected Benton County District Attorney in November 2008, following his appointment in February 2007 by Governor Ted Kulongoski. Prior to his appointment, he served as Benton County's Chief Deputy District Attorney, a position he held since 2002. Haroldson began his prosecution career in 1988 as an intern-prosecutor for the City of Albany and later as a Linn County Deputy District Attorney.
Recognized by the Oregon Crime Victims Assistance Network and the Oregon Humane Society for excellence in prosecution, Haroldson has distinguished himself as a prosecutor. He serves as adjunct faculty for Willamette University School of Law and the National College of District Attorneys.
Haroldson earned a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy from Central Washington University and a Doctorate in Jurisprudence from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Oregon and Washington State Bar Associations.
The son of a Scandinavian father and a Mexican mother, Haroldson was raised both in the Pacific Northwest and in Monterrey, Mexico, where he developed a rich bilingual and bicultural perspective. He holds the honor of serving as Oregon's first Mexican-American District Attorney. Additionally, Haroldson volunteers as a SMART reader, where he works with monolingual Spanish speaking students and resides in Corvallis with his wife Maria.