Friday, August 16, 2013

Sen. Mark Herring would bring a welcome change to the style of Virginia attorney general

If you knew nothing else about state Sen. Mark Herring, the first line under Herring’s “Issues” page says it all: “I’ll put the laws first, not politics.” Sen. Herring is running for Virginia Attorney General in November and the need for an attorney general that will put the people of Virginia first is needed now more than ever.

The current attorney general, Ken Cuccinelli, has mixed politics and the official duties of his office with such rigor and for so long that it’s hard to determine when Cuccinelli wasn’t campaigning for a higher political office. From the beginning of his 4-year tenure as Virginia’s highest attorney, Cuccinelli has targeted individuals, groups, and ideas which were clearly politically motivated.

While the targeting of former University of Virginia climate scientist, Michael Mann, was one of the more visible Cuccinelli witch hunts, it was by no means a singular event. Whether it was chasing down abortion clinics, challenging (and often losing) the EPA in their efforts to enforce federal environmental law, or infringing upon the rights of homosexuals, Cuccinelli made politically motivated actions as attorney general something closer to an art form than a professional duty.

Whether you agree with all of Sen. Herring’s policy positions or not, Herring seems sincere about restoring integrity to the office of attorney general. That is, Herring appears to be sincere about using the office of attorney general for its intended purpose: to blindly defend the law, regardless of political implications.


At the very least, check out Sen. Herring’s website and see what he is all about before you vote in this November’s election. This is one of the ways that we as Virginian’s can continue to steer our state in the right direction for generations to come: stay informed, stay involved, and vote for the best candidate available. 

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