Logan Township police officer Matt Dunio is announcing his run for magisterial district judge.

Dunio, a 23-year law enforcement veteran, will kick off his campaign for district judge serving Magisterial District 24-3-02 at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Quality Inn on Pleasant Valley Boulevard, according to his campaign.

The event, where former Blair County Sheriff Mitch Cooper will introduce Dunio, is free and open to the public.

Magisterial District 24-3-02 encompasses Allegheny and Logan townships and part of Tunnelhill Bor­ough.

The office is currently held by Magisterial Dis­trict Judge Steven Jack­son, who is retiring at the end of this year.

Dunio currently serves as a patrolman in the Logan Township Police Department and has over 23 years of law enforcement experience.

“As an officer in a smaller police department, I have investigated crime reports of varying degrees of seriousness,” Dunio said in a statement this week. “I have spent countless hours in district courts and have a thorough understanding of how the law works with respect to all parties in­volved — victims, the accused, and the community. It is critical that your judge have this background to ensure justice continues to be served.”

Dunio, 45, started his career at the Blair County Adult Parole and Proba­tion Office after graduating from Indiana Univer­sity of Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology.

After 11 years with that office, he decided to obtain his Act 120 police certification.

“My pledge as the next magisterial district judge is to serve with honor, impartiality, integrity and fairness, as Judge Jackson has done the past 12 years,” Dunio said.

Dunio is also the lead firearms instructor in Logan Township Police Department and trains new officers.

A resident of Logan Township, Dunio lives with his wife, Nicole, who is a school teacher in Altoona, and their three daughters.

Voters are invited to visit “Matt Dunio for Judge” on Facebook, or contact the campaign by mail at Dunio for Judge, P.O. Box 707, Altoona, PA 16603 or by phone at 207-5523.