From the moment Donald Trump took office, Democratic attorneys general have been at the front lines of the resistance, fighting back against his worst policies in court. Now we need to send in reinforcements.
Races for state attorney general don’t typically attract a ton of attention, but these elections are crucial as progressives look for ways to thwart the Trump administration’s cruel and destructive plans. Attorneys general wield the power of the law, and with it they can check Republican abuses of power both on the state and national levels.
Currently, Republicans occupy 27 attorney general posts while Democrats hold 22 (one is filled by an independent). Of those, 30 seats are up this November, with the GOP defending 18 to just 12 for Democrats, so Team Blue is on offense. That gives us a chance to shift those numbers in progressives’ direction and better defend the rights of those Trump and his abettors have been attacking—immigrants, voters of color, women, people with pre-existing conditions, and more—across the country.
To help in this fight, Daily Kos is pleased to endorse attorney general candidates in six battleground states:
Give $1 to each of these candidates to fight for the rule of law and the protection of our rights!
The power vested in the office of attorney general is significant, and letting it remain in the hands of Republicans in these key states is a dangerous prospect. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, Republican attorneys general, who universally oppose a woman’s right to obtain a safe abortion, will use their authority to decimate reproductive rights. These Republicans want to eliminate sanctuary cities and end DACA, and they support Trump’s racist policies on immigration and travel bans. They oppose equal rights for LGBTQ Americans. They support the NRA and will fight attempts to enforce gun safety laws. And they’ll continue to sue to strip Americans of health care and end environmental protections.
Democratic attorneys general have a different vision. They’ll continue to challenge reprehensible Trump administration policies like the racist travel ban, the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census, and the rollback of protections for students defrauded by predatory for-profit schools and lenders. They will fight to protect access to affordable health care. And they’ll join with their counterparts in secretary of state offices to expand voting rights after years of the GOP’s work to restrict access to the ballot box.
Republican attorneys general sought to block Obama’s progressive agenda every step of the way. Democrats can beat them at their own game by taking Trump administration policies to court at every opportunity, but with new atrocities emerging daily, our attorneys general stretched thin. That’s why it’s so important we send in fresh troops to combat Donald Trump and his assault on our rights.
Contribute $1 today to each of these progressive candidates for attorney general!