How WA attorney general candidates compare on policing, drug laws and more

Two Democrats and a Republican are fighting to become Washington's next attorney general , a job that hasn't been wide open in more than a decade.

Why it matters: Tuesday's top-two primary will decide which two of the three candidates move on to the general election in November.

State of play: For the first time in 12 years there's no incumbent running. Democrat Bob Ferguson, the current attorney general, is campaigning for governor .

• Competing to replace him are Democrat Manka Dhingra, a state senator and former prosecutor from Redmond; Democrat Nick Brown, a former U.S. attorney for Western Washington; and Republican Pete Serrano, a Pasco City Council member who currently serves as mayor.

Between the lines: Polling suggests Dhingra and Brown are closely splitting the Democratic vote, meaning one will likely be eliminated in the primary, while Serrano is likely to advance.

Context: As the state's top government lawyer, the attorney general advises state agencies on legal issues and defends them in court.

• The AG can also challenge federal policies that may infringe on residents' civil rights, or sue corporations that hurt or defraud Washingtonians.

Zoom in: Dhingra and Brown align on many issues, including their support for gun control laws, such as the state's 2023 ban on selling semi-automatic rifles like AR-15s.

• They both told Axios that they wouldn't hesitate to file lawsuits if needed to protect abortion access in Washington, or to shield undocumented immigrants from mass arrests and deportations, something former President Trump has vowed to make happen if he is re-elected.
• By contrast, Serrano is anti-abortion , opposes the state's recent gun control laws , and said at a recent forum he's focused on protecting immigrants who are here legally and ensuring undocumented immigrants don't "skip the line."

Yes, but: The Democratic candidates differ slightly in their approach to policing.

• In the Legislature this year, Dhingra voted against Initiative 2113, which repealed limits on police vehicle chases that the Legislature passed in 2021.
• Dhingra told Axios that she is concerned about the potential for police vehicle chases to injure or kill bystanders, and wanted to see more data on how the new law was working before repealing it.
• Brown told Axios he supports the repeal, though he still wants to work to make police pursuits safer.

Between the lines: Brown said he wouldn't back efforts to decriminalize drug possession in Washington, as he said Dhingra has done.

• But Dhingra told Axios that mischaracterizes her position.
• While she sponsored a measure last year that would have implemented a task force's recommendation to decriminalize possession, she said that was to ensure the task force's work got discussed in the committee she chairs.
• Dhingra ultimately co-sponsored and helped craft a compromise that made drug possession a gross misdemeanor.

Serrano told Axios he supports making drug possession a felony again, as it was before a state Supreme Court ruling in 2021.

What's next: Ballots must be returned to an official drop box by 8pm Tuesday, or postmarked by Tuesday to be counted.

Go deeper: A Seattle voter's guide to the Aug. 6 primary election