Reno won her first election in her own right as Dade County State Attorney, the start of four consecutive elected terms.
On November 7, 1978, Janet Reno won election in her own right as State Attorney for Dade County, having previously been appointed to the role earlier that year following a vacancy. This election validated her leadership and set the stage for what would become fifteen years of service in the position.
Reno would go on to be reelected three more times, running essentially unopposed in several elections due to her reputation for integrity, fairness, and effectiveness. During her tenure she was known for pioneering innovative approaches to prosecution, including one of the nation's first drug courts, aimed at diverting nonviolent drug offenders into treatment rather than incarceration.
Her electoral success as a woman in an elected law enforcement position was itself notable in an era when few women held such offices, particularly in the South. Her ability to win repeated reelection demonstrated broad public trust across Dade County's diverse population, a critical foundation for her eventual national political career and appointment as U.S. Attorney General fifteen years later.