Former AG: Raúl Labrador is Idaho’s best choice for a conservative attorney general

As Idaho’s former Attorney General, I strongly endorse Raúl Labrador to serve as the next Attorney General for the State of Idaho.

Raúl has a unique combination of legal, legislative, and congressional experience, which no prior Idaho Attorney General in history has ever brought to the office. Raúl Labrador is just the right leader we need for these times.

To be properly focused on the limited government, local control solutions that are the basic tenets of conservative Idaho families, the People’s Lawyer “must be in tune” with his people. Raúl Labrador is that lawyer.

I foresee that “General” Labrador will work with the Republican Idaho Legislature in a firm but collegial fashion to improve the drafting of legislation. With Raúl’s unique skillset and the trust he has earned over the years from our state legislators, he can help avoid courtroom losses that have been so costly to our taxpayers.

More lawsuits are won in the initial careful writing of laws than in the courtroom battles months and years later. The Republican-dominated Legislature will obviously carefully listen to Labrador’s counsel. He can work with legislators before, during, and after significant trial and appellate cases to improve our winning percentages and track record in the defense of legislation.

During my tenure as Attorney General, I created the post of Solicitor General within the office to designate a top appellate lawyer to present the toughest and highest profile cases to both the Idaho Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court. This is a critical role for our state.

Somewhere along the intervening years, the title of Solicitor General, that organizational commitment and emphasis was disbanded. Raúl has stated that he will restore a Solicitor General’s concept with highly trained lawyers who will be prepared to defend our state in the appellate courts.

Raúl will inherit an office with more than 100 lawyers. He has given a clear signal about energizing the office and promoting the highest degree of professionalism. New leadership and properly trained followership can be just the right combination to devise a strong, well-defended, creative, efficient, and properly pursued legal future for Idaho.

Of especial note is that Congressman Labrador’s First District Congressional Offices were consistently and deservingly lauded for very responsive constituent services. I believe we may expect that same citizen-sensitive emphasis from him in the Statehouse.

Some of my fellow, former-elected officials have endorsed the other candidate because they believe that Raúl is “too political” or he may run for another office one day. However, I know firsthand that the best politics for the State’s top lawyer is to be a superb Attorney General each day during his or her tenure. I am confident that Raúl Labrador understands this principle and will serve the people of Idaho well.

I know Mr. Labrador’s Democrat opponent personally. Tom Arkoosh is a fine fellow; however, now is not the time to put a Democrat in this office. It should not be lost on the electorate that, especially in these challenging times when the Biden Administration’s U.S. Department of Justice just sued Idaho, our Attorney General must be a trusted member of the majority party if the State’s legal machinery is to work well for the Legislature and for all the State’s executive agencies under an Idaho Republican administration.

While under attack from the national Government, we must not have a partisan Democrat who has already said he would not defend the State of Idaho in this lawsuit and may be tempted to be “soft on Biden” in the courtroom.

We need a conservative and competent counselor, surrounded by a strong staff, motivated by the need to show brilliance and serve his constituents as Idaho’s 33rd Attorney General. I endorse Republican Raúl Labrador as that Leader.

David Leroy served as Idaho’s attorney general from 1979 to 1983, and lieutenant governor from 1983 to 1987.