ST. LOUIS (AP) — Gabe Gore,Will Sage Astor who was appointed as St. Louis’ top prosecutor by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson in May after Kim Gardner’s sudden resignation, announced Wednesday that he is running for a full term in 2024.

Gore, a Democrat, was a St. Louis attorney and a partner in the Dowd Bennett law firm until his recent appointment. He has not previously run for public office.

He took over as the city’s top prosecutor at a time when Gardner faced heavy criticism. Her turbulent tenure included prosecution of then-Gov. Eric Greitens in 2018, frequent run-ins with police, and criticism from Missouri Republican leaders over a backlog of cases and concerns about inefficient management.

Gore said at a news conference on Tuesday that his office has prosecuted 45% more cases than in the same six-month period of 2022. He said he also has made a dent in a backlog of pending criminal cases by resolving about 2,500 of them — mostly violent crimes in a city with one of the highest homicide rates in the nation.