AG race pivots on experience and a candidate's claims
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The four-way Democratic contest for state attorney general is focused on legal experience as the frontrunner battles claims that she exaggerated her resume.
Why it matters: The candidates' legal backgrounds offer a clear contrast for voters in the race to become the state's chief attorney.
State of play: The issue came to the forefront in a new TV ad from Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty. He accused Secretary of State Jena Griswold of misleading voters about her legal experience when she said at a recent campaign forum that she "argued at the [U.S.] Supreme Court."
Reality check: Griswold never argued at the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Instead, she was listed as a party in a case about whether President Trump could appear on the Colorado ballot after his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
What they're saying: Independent legal experts called Griswold's statement inaccurate and a misrepresentation, 9News reports.
- Dougherty is calling on Griswold to retract her claim. "Jena is using clever words to exaggerate the truth," he says in the ad.
The other side: Griswold's campaign acknowledged in a statement to Axios Denver that she did not personally argue the case but said she worked closely to shape the arguments in court filings. The Colorado Attorney General's Office filed the legal briefs, and the state's solicitor general handled oral arguments.
- Griswold, who received her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 2011, has argued one case before a judge in Washington, D.C., but her campaign did not provide details.
Between the lines: Courtroom experience is not required for attorney general candidates. Term-limited Attorney General Phil Weiser worked as the University of Colorado Boulder law school dean and argued a handful of cases before being elected.
Zoom in: All three of Griswold's rivals have extensive legal experience — a major talking point for each campaign.
Dougherty, who attended Boston University's law school, said he handled a trial as recently as December and argued "thousands of cases" in his 29 years, including the Boulder King Soopers shooting and the pending Pearl Street firebombing cases.
Hetal Doshi, a former assistant U.S. attorney for Colorado and a University of Virginia law school graduate, said she has civil and criminal courtroom experience at the state and federal levels.
- Colorado needs "a battle-tested lawyer as our next attorney general – not just another politician," she said in a statement.
David Seligman, a Harvard Law School alumnus and the executive director of Towards Justice, a progressive legal and labor rights organization, touts his experience before state and federal courts across the country.
- "Colorado needs someone ready to lead the toughest legal battles against powerful interests, that experience matters," he said in a statement.