Their races often operate under the national radar and are sometimes ignored by local media, even though many state attorneys general eventually make it to the governor’s office.
But this year, they are in the spotlight, and even at the White House. Backed by an historic level of donations to Republican groups and an energized Republican Attorneys General Association, the 30 attorney general races this year are getting the kind of attention and funding typically directed at House and Senate races.
“Illegal is when someone breaks the law.” – @LeslieRutledge at @CPAC. Will you join Leslie by standing against Sanctuary Cities today? #CPAC2018 pic.twitter.com/QcPjlvEI0t
— RAGA (@RepublicanAGs) February 23, 2018
“We are firing on all cylinders,” said Leslie Rutledge, the attorney general of Arkansas and chairwoman of RAGA, which was created in 2013.
Her group has been stepping up its role to help GOP attorneys general for more than a year and now is poised to extend a strong hand to Republican candidates.
The group is getting attention in Washington. She and other attorneys general have met with President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and others in the administration to talk about curbing Obama-era regulations, a newfound influence for Republican state officials.
“I think RAGA is really taking their organization to the next level to compete for national attention,” said Josh Holmes, former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
LISTEN: @SandraSmithFox spoke with @AGRutledge about the President’s comments on pulling ICE agents from California pic.twitter.com/G5k0S9wDTH
— America’s Newsroom (@AmericaNewsroom) February 23, 2018
“In good political times for Republicans, they’re the next generation of leaders. In bad times, they are the firewall the country relies upon,” added Holmes, now the president and founding partner of Calvary, an influential issues and media management firm in Washington.
In the upcoming elections, money is key, of course, and RAGA told Secrets that it hauled in more than $16 million last year, a good year for all GOP groups. The numbers are somewhat surprising since it raised $8.7 million in 2013 and $12.6 million in 2015.
“That’s a record, but we are not done yet and are promising an even bigger 2018 haul,” one official said.
Their Democratic foes took in $8.7 million.
Much of the Republican money will be targeted on key AG races, such as in Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, and Florida.
But it is also being used to train candidates on campaigning and quickly implementing their agendas once in office, officials said.
ICYMI: Catch my full #CPAC2018 speech about danger of sanctuary cities & what we can do to restore the rule of law. #arpx https://t.co/UMy8hg4Ukq
— Leslie Rutledge (@LeslieRutledge) February 23, 2018
At the end of last month, for example, RAGA brought 17 candidates and their staffs from 12 states for two days of training and seminars. Some of Washington’s top GOP leaders, such as Holmes and influential former state attorneys general, guided them through sessions dedicated to hiring, fundraising, and campaigning.
The attorney general’s post can be a stepping stone to the governor’s office, a House or Senate seat, or even the presidency. Former President Bill Clinton, for example, was Arkansas’ attorney general from 1977 to 1979.
But it can also be an influential position in states, as it is an office that rules on crime, guns, gay rights, and other hot-button social issues.
“Americans would be surprised at the vast impact that the office of attorney general has on their daily lives, whether it’s utility rates, holding criminals accountable, going after con artists that make those nuisance phone calls, to combating the opioid epidemic,” Rutledge said.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
