(The Center Square) – Gov. Jay Inslee is throwing his support behind former U.S. Attorney Nick Brown to be Washington state’s next attorney general.
After stepping down as U.S. attorney in Seattle, Brown announced on July 12 that he would be running as a Democrat for the state’s top law enforcement job.
“Last week, I endorsed my friend and colleague Nick Brown in his campaign to be our next Attorney General,” Inslee said on Twitter Monday. “Nick and I navigated the early years of the Trump administration together, working to keep Washingtonians safe from Trump’s hateful agenda.”
Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced in May that he would not be seeking another term but announced he had launched an exploratory campaign for governor.
Gov. Jay Inslee had previously said he would not be seeking an unprecedented fourth term.
A native of Pierce County, Washington, the 46-year-old Brown served less than two years as the top federal prosecutor for Western Washington after being nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2021. Brown held that post after having served four years as general counsel to Inslee.
The Harvard Law School graduate also previously served in the U.S. Army before returning to Washington to become the state’s first black U.S. attorney.
Brown said his platform in his run for attorney general includes reducing gun violence, ensuring access to abortions, and protecting consumers.
So far, the only other declared candidate for attorney general is state Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, who announced her run for the job shortly after Ferguson went public with his gubernatorial plans.
The Center Square reached out to Dhingra’s campaign for comment on Inslee’s endorsement of Brown but did not receive a reply.
