A little-celebrated victory was overlooked by the press in last month’s election results when Republicans held onto their 26-member majority in state attorneys general offices across the country.
“We kept all five incumbent seats, despite the fact that, in October, Democrats were claiming they were going to take up at least three seats,†said Adam Piper, the executive director of the Republican Attorneys General Association in an interview with the Washington Examiner.
A state attorney general is that state’s top lawyer. Their responsibilities are broad, from investigating criminal operations, protecting seniors from scams, monitoring larger mergers that may overstep anti-trust laws, as well as investigating public corruption, and defending a state if it is sued.
They are also political, often working with or challenging their governor or state legislature.
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As Piper sees it, Republican attorneys general are the one thing that will defend the country during the Biden-Harris administration.
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Next year, Piper has his eyes on Virginia — which he admits is an uphill climb considering how blue Old Dominion has become since 2009. To date, only one Republican candidate has announced his intention to run for the office: Jason Miyares, a state delegate and former Virginia Beach prosecutor who has served in the House since 2016.
Democrat incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring is seeking a third four-year term. Delegate Jay Jones, a Norfolk Democrat, is challenging him in a primary. “That will definitely be a contentious Democrat primary,†said Piper.
Piper added that it is too early to tell what the Republican Attorneys General Association's investment will be in Virginia. “We are taking a very hard look at it, but frankly, right now, we have not made any definitive decision with our board because we have not looked at the raw numbers," he said. “While Virginia does have a history of swinging back and being a check on power, we also have to be cognizant that Virginia is really about four or five different states.â€
Piper’s big win in 2019 was Daniel Cameron in Kentucky, a race that few covered but ended up becoming a rising-star moment for the Republican Party, with Cameron giving a powerful personal speech at last summer’s Republican National Convention.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/republican-attorneys-general-set-their-sights-on-checking-joe-biden-and-kamala-harris
