(The Center Square) – Washington attorney general candidates Nick Brown, a Democrat, and Pete Serrano, a Republican, reached one point of agreement during their Wednesday debate in Spokane – sometimes Gov. Jay Inslee drives them both crazy.
“And some of you, too, judging by the reaction,” said Serrano, as the audience laughed.
Beyond that, the two men have different perspectives on the role of attorney general.
Paul Reed, publisher of the Journal of Business, moderated the debate at the Association of Washington Business 2024 Policy Briefing.
His first query to the candidates was about the various roles of the Office of the Attorney General.
Serrano pointed to the state constitution and said he seeks to refocus the office on its primary assignment of advising state agencies and officers. He pushed back on how current Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who is running for governor, has expanded into work he regards as legislative activism.
In his view, the attorney general’s duty is to ensure that agencies comply with the state constitution and safeguard the people from regulatory overreach.
Brown had a different take, saying the attorney general’s primary role is to advocate for those who need help and to defend the state. He pointed to the civil rights and consumer protection divisions as examples of work he looks forward to continuing as attorney general, adding he would contemplate forming a new labor division.
Not proposing new ideas to the Legislature, he said, would be a “fundamental missed opportunity.”
In a follow-up question on the attorney general’s consumer protection, Serrano affirmed the office’s role in protecting the public from bad actors in the marketplace. He would suggest legislation only if necessary to provide the tools necessary for the Attorney General’s Office to do its job.
“My goal is not to legislate from the bench using the courts,” he added.
The candidates bring different legal backgrounds to their campaigns for attorney general.
Brown is a former U.S. Attorney for the Washington District of Washington with broad experience in criminal law. He also served as general counsel to Inslee for four years.
Serrano is the mayor of Pasco and a former environmental attorney for the U.S. Department of Energy. He has also worked with the Silent Majority Foundation on issues related to individual rights.
The full debate is available on TVW.
