Nick Brown will become Washington state’s first Black attorney general

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.

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