This year's race for Nassau County District Attorney has incumbent Republican Denis Dillon challenged by Democrat Kathleen Rice. We asked each candidate to respond to three questions: (1) Why are you running? (2) What are your qualifications for the position? and (3) What kind of difference do you feel you could make? Here's what they told us.

In a recent interview, Denis Dillon said that he has spent a lifetime in law enforcement. While working as a New York City police officer, he put himself through Fordham Law School and was named an Honor Law Graduate by Attorney General Robert Kennedy. He was appointed to the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice and handled numerous investigations and cases. After serving as an assistant U.S. attorney and handling numerous federal prosecutions, he was appointed director of the Organized Crime Strike Force in New York. Under his leadership, the Strike Force had the best record in the country. For that accomplishment, the Department of Justice awarded him their John Marshall Award for outstanding achievement. That award is one of the most prestigious awards given by the department. He has received awards for his work from Secret Service, the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He first ran for Nassau County district attorney in 1974 and after taking office has gained national recognition for his innovative policies and professional office, he told us.

Since Mr. Dillon took office, he noted that Nassau County has one of the highest felony conviction rates in the country - 99 percent, and, according to the FBI and Forbes Magazine, the lowest crime rate in the nation. He said he has established a number of bureaus to handle proactive investigations in the areas of white-collar crime, public corruption, Internet crimes, drug and gang violence. He added that he's also arrested and prosecuted school officials and public officials who have violated the public's trust, adding that he's fought for long sentences, restitution to taxpayers and heavy fines for these offenses. An example he gave was the recent prosecution of the Benefit Plan Administration fraud that resulted in 11 convictions, $3.3 million in criminal forfeiture and $22 million in restitution.

The incumbent stated that he has a proactive approach to crime prevention. He points to the creation of the Rising Star Program in 1998 as an example of this. This program improves both the present quality and future prospects of life for families in communities burdened by higher crime rates and poverty. Rising Star reaches out to young people and guides them in a positive direction. The program is not funded by taxpayers, but by convicted criminals. He said, "Through my Civil Forfeiture Program, I confiscate assets from criminals and put them to work for law abiding citizens."

"Newsday best summarized my greatest accomplishments for Nassau County, following a study of prosecutors in New York," reported Mr. Dillon. The paper concluded, "The rate of conviction is one of the highest in the state, and people arrested in Nassau are more likely to receive harsher punishment than those arrested on comparable charges in Suffolk and Westchester." The Newsday report continued, "If you are arrested in Nassau County, you are significantly more likely to be convicted on a serious charge than in most other parts of the state."

Summing up, Mr. Dillon said, "My re-election is centered on my record of achievement, my lifetime experience in law enforcement and the demonstrated independence I bring to the office. Best put, it is about promises made - promises kept."

Challenger Kathleen Rice says that she is running for district attorney because she believes we need a DA in Nassau County who has experience prosecuting the types of modern crimes we are facing today. "We need someone who is hands-on and connected to the community," she said, adding, "We need a DA that has experience in modern law enforcement techniques because much has changed since 1974."

Ms. Rice said, "I will take a proactive approach to fighting crime in Nassau County, " and noted, "I am apolitical and will prosecute public corruption wherever the facts take me."

Her qualifications include extensive state and federal experience prosecuting violent, white-collar, Internet and financial crimes. She is a graduate of Touro Law School and has served as both assistant district attorney, and as an assistant U.S. attorney. "I have handled more than 40 murders during my 14-year career as a prosecutor," she said.

When asked how she will make a difference as district attorney, Ms. Rice said, "The crimes we are facing in Nassau County in 2005 are different than those we faced when Denis Dillon was elected back in 1974. We need a prosecutor with the necessary experience to handle this new wave of crime, and I am that prosecutor."

Continuing, she said, "We also need a tougher stand against indicted criminals. Too often, our district attorney hands out lenient, plea-bargained sentences to violent felons for the sake of his prosecutorial statistics. This isn't keeping Nassau County safe."

If elected, Ms. Rice said she would be tougher on criminals, including drunk drivers. "We need to be more proactive and connected to our communities so that we can better deter crime and better protect our taxpayers' money."