ALFRED — York County District Attorney Mark Lawrence will not seek re-election and will leave the office at the end of his term Dec. 31.

Democrat Lawrence was unopposed in his bid for re-election in the June 8 primary. His decision to withdraw means Democrats will caucus to choose a candidate, said Deputy Secretary of State Julie Flynn.

It also means that whoever is chosen will become the de facto district attorney, barring a vigorous write-in campaign Nov. 2, because the deadlines have passed for candidates from other parties or independents to get into the race.

“We issue a declaration of the vacancy to the county committee of that candidate’s party, and the county committee has until Monday, July 26th at 5 p.m. to caucus and nominate a replacement candidate,” said Flynn in an e-mail in response to questions. “This is a vacancy in a primary nominee, so the other parties or non-party do not get to nominate a candidate now.”

A caucus date has not yet been set.

Lawrence, 52, said he will seek opportunities in the private sector. He said his decision to withdraw comes with a desire to spend more time with his family.  Married, Lawrence is the father of two daughters who are 8 and 6 years old.

Lawrence said he was at a crossroads.

“For me, the critical decision was, ”˜Was I going to make a career commitment to stay here (in the district attorney’s office)?’” he said this morning.

He said he and his wife, Tina, have been thinking about career and life changes for more than a year, but his wife became a victim of the recession and was laid off, postponing any decision until she found a new job a month ago.

And while the district attorney’s office has been dealt financial hurdles as York County government has undergone budget struggles in the past few years, Lawrence said he believes the office has reached a degree of stability.

While the state pays the salaries of the district attorney and assistant prosecutors, the county picks up the salaries of clerical staff, expert witness fees, office supplies and other costs. When the county laid off 24 workers last September, the district attorneys office was impacted along with the rest of county government.

These days, however, Lawrence said things are better. Many employees have been returned to work and a dedicated domestic violence prosecution unit ”“ a goal Lawrence has long worked toward ”“ is in place.

“We’ve gotten the office to the point where it is reasonably stable,” he said.

Lawrence said he hasn’t decided whether he will again pursue higher elected office. He most recently was a primary candidate in the 2008 race for U.S. Congress. While a member of the state Legislature, he was president of the Senate.

Lawrence is in his eighth year as district attorney and was seeking his third term in office.

He said he hasn’t made any specific work plans but expects to return to his private law practice.

— Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 or twells@journaltribune.com.