Republicans get 'aggressive' in fight to win top cop spots in battleground states
Republican attorney general candidates are betting that crime, border security and public safety will drive voters to the polls in November as they position themselves as frontline fighters against Democratic...
By Fox News · Fox News
Republican attorney general candidates are betting that crime, border security and public safety will drive voters to the polls in November as they position themselves as frontline fighters against Democratic policies on immigration and law enforcement. The Republican Attorneys General Association and its affiliated groups are launching an aggressive $11 million television offensive across key battleground states this fall, with initial ad purchases targeting attorney general races in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Georgia and Kansas. "I think we have learned that being aggressive is a good thing," RAGA Chairman Austin Knudsen, who also serves as Montana attorney general, told Fox News Digital. "Being aggressive works." Republicans say the effort reflects a broader push to put Democrats on defense over crime and public safety issues in some of the country’s most competitive statewide contests. END OF DEFUND POLICE ERA? CRIME, PROSECUTORIAL CRACKDOWN IN BLUE AND PURPLE STATES SIGNALS SHIFT, EXPERTS SAY "I don't think there's any question that the winning message for AG races around the country in 2026 is public safety," Knudsen said. "Americans care about public safety, they care about law enforcement , they care about border security." Knudsen argued attorney general races have become increasingly nationalized because they can quickly challenge federal policies through lawsuits and multistate legal coalitions. Republican attorneys general scored major victories against the Biden administration, including a successful challenge to Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan that ended with the Supreme Court striking down the program in Biden v. Nebraska. GOP attorney general coalitions also sued to block the administration’s revised SAVE repayment plan, winning court orders delaying parts of the program. Republican-led states also challenged Biden administration efforts to expand Title IX protections to include gender identity, turning attorney general offices into a maj…