Washington attorney general candidates collide over gun laws
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Pete Serrano (left) and Nick Brown. Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photos: Courtesy of campaigns.
The two candidates vying to become Washington state's next attorney general have already faced each other in court, arguing on opposite sides of the gun control debate.
Why it matters: The state's top lawyer is tasked with defending Washington laws, including recently enacted statewide bans on selling AR-15-style rifles and high-capacity gun magazines.
State of play: Former U.S. Attorney Nick Brown, a Democrat, works part-time as a private attorney for Pacifica Law Group. In that role, he is defending the state's ban on so-called assault weapons, which took effect last year.
- Brown's courtroom opponent in that case is the same one he is now facing on the campaign trail: Pasco Mayor Pete Serrano, a Republican.
- Serrano is co-director and general counsel of Silent Majority Foundation, a nonprofit that has filed four lawsuits challenging the state's gun laws.
Catch up quick: Serrano and Brown won the most votes in a three-way primary last month, and will face each other in the Nov. 5 general election.
Zoom in: Serrano's clients include Guardian Arms, a Moses Lake gun shop seeking to overturn Washington's ban on selling dozens of firearms that the state now defines as assault weapons.
- Serrano also is representing Gator's Custom Guns, which is seeking to overturn the state's ban on selling high-capacity gun magazines.
- In a separate lawsuit, his group is challenging the state's ban on untraceable "ghost guns."
What they're saying: "We oppose any legislation that infringes or impairs individual rights," Serrano told Axios in an interview.
- He said Washington's recent bans on gun and ammunition sales violate the individual right to bear arms as outlined in both the U.S. and Washington state constitutions.
The other side: "We have seen repeatedly how assault weapons, AR-15s, are used in mass shootings," Brown told Axios.
- He cited last week's school shooting in Georgia, where authorities said the gunman used an AR-style weapon.
- "The data is there to show that these are highly destructive and not necessary for defending your home in a self-defense context," Brown said.
Flashback: Previously, Brown helped draft and defend Initiative 1639, which, among other changes, raised the minimum age to buy semiautomatic rifles in Washington from 18 to 21.
Between the lines: The cases brought by Serrano's group are unlikely to be resolved before January, when whoever is elected as attorney general takes office.
- Serrano has said on the campaign trail that he won't defend laws he thinks are unconstitutional, or would seek to dismiss cases that conflict with his position.
- He told Axios last week that he was still evaluating what he would do in such situations but said he could possibly recuse himself or have the attorney general's office hire outside counsel.
- "There is stuff on the books that I have taken a hard position against, and we will have to figure it out," he said.