As November approaches, the candidates for Harris County District Attorney are preparing to face-off in the 2012 election. On May 29, Republican candidate Mike Anderson defeated incumbent Harris County DA Patricia Lykos with 63 percent of the votes in the Republican primary, while Lloyd Oliver emerged as the Democratic candidate over opponent Zack Fertitta in the Democratic primary.

Mike Anderson, a Harris County native from Pasadena, has served as assistant district attorney and has 17 years of experience as a prosecutor. He has also served 12 years as a state district judge and was elected administrative judge in 2009 by the Criminal District Court Judges. Anderson assisted in creating Veteran's Court, the Public Defender's Court and an additional Mental Health Court. He graduated from Pearland High School and Texas Lutheran College before receiving his law degree from South Texas College of Law.

Lloyd Oliver holds a doctorate degree in law, which led to a career spanning more than 35 years as a criminal lawyer, teacher, coach and sheriff's deputy for the Harris County Sheriff's Office. He is a member of the College of the State Bar and former president of the Harris County Criminal Lawyer's Association. Oliver is a fifth generation Texan and boasts more than 5,000 trials in his experience as a defense lawyer.

Lloyd Oliver, Democratic candidate, Harris County District Attorney

If elected, what would your main priorities be in your first year as district attorney?

I would like to streamline the system, bringing it into the 21st century. I would have a 24-hour prosecution team. Right now these are full-time judges and prosecutors that often don't work full-time. There's no reason victims should have to wait a year or more for justice. I would want to make this a full-time institution. [This is] my chance to help people, to do some good and to make a real difference.

With a professional background as a defense attorney, why the switch to prosecution?

It's all the same thing. It has to do with justice. A good prosecutor is sworn to convict in accordance with justice. People who know me, both Republicans and Democrats, know I'm a man of justice, and I'll do what's right.We need to put the right people away, and put them away for a long time.

What do you think helped you win the Democratic nomination for Harris County District Attorney?

I've run as a candidate before, so I think there was some name recognition. A lot of it was just luck. Sometimes it's like throwing darts. Or fishing—sometimes you get a catch, other times you don't.

Mike Anderson, Republican candidate, Harris County District Attorney

With your professional experience, what most qualifies you for the nomination as the Republican candidate for Harris County District Attorney?

I worked as an assistant for the district attorney under Johnny Holmes. During that time, I tried more than 170 first chair felony jury trials—I lost one. I was involved in the investigation and prosectution of 11 capital murder cases and supervised prosecutors and was assigned as the chief prosecutor in three district courts. All of the things that I have done have brought home important aspects of any leadership position: you work hard, treat people fairly, you do the right thing and you follow the law. The DA's job is to work hard to see that justice is served, thereby making the public safer. You do that by following your oath to conform to and uphold the law. It's important to not make decisions based on political affiliations.

If elected, what would your main priorities be in your first year as District Attorney?

I think it's important that the public trust in the office be re-established. I think it has suffered in the past couple years. It's important to amend relations with local law enforcement and for prosecutors in the office to know that I am behind them, and that we are working together as servants to the people.

What are a few of the challenges currently facing the office that concern you?

There are some excellent [prosecutors] now, but by sheer numbers, many experienced prosecutors have left. There are some great building blocks, but making up for that loss in numbers is certainly going to be a challenge.