Democrat Nick Brown has won the race for Washington attorney general, defeating Republican Pete Serrano, the Associated Press reports.
Why it matters: Brown will be the first Black person to serve as Washington state’s top lawyer, and the state’s first new attorney general in 12 years.
- He’ll succeed Bob Ferguson, who ran for governor instead of seeking re-election this year.
Driving the news: The Associated Press called the race for Brown after a few hours of ballot counting in Washington’s vote-by-mail election.
State of play: Brown is a former U.S. attorney for western Washington who also worked as general counsel for Gov. Jay Inslee.
- Serrano is a Pasco City Council member who currently serves as the city’s mayor, a position chosen by other council members.
Catch up quick: Serrano co-directs the Silent Majority Foundation, a nonprofit that has filed lawsuits fighting COVID-19 vaccine mandates for government workers and challenging the state’s gun laws.
- Brown is on the opposite side of the gun control debate, representing the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility as a private attorney.
- In that role, Brown helped draft and defend Initiative 1639 , which, among other changes, raised the minimum age to buy semiautomatic rifles in Washington from 18 to 21.