Bringing the Law Back to Town
Two conservative lawyers challenge a career politician
Lawrence Wasden has been a fixture in Boise for a long time. Elected attorney general in 2003 after a long career in local government, Wasden was already the longest-serving AG in Idaho history before he announced a campaign for a fifth term this year.
In addition to acting as the chief law enforcement officer of our state, Wasden has also kept Idaho involved in the national conversation. In the aftermath of the contentious 2020 presidential election, Wasden declined to join the lawsuit filed by the state of Texas against states who improperly changed their voting laws. However, he did join with several other states in suing the Biden Administration to overturn the OSHA vaccine mandate.
Locally, it seems that Mr. Wasden is very much a creature of the establishment. Former US Attorney General Eric Holder once remarked that he considered himself President Obama’s “wingman,” a rather shocking statement for someone whose job is to keep the president accountable to the Constitution. In the same manner, however, AG Wasden seems to think of himself as the governor’s wingman.
For example, when Governor Little grew annoyed with the way Lieutenant Governor McGeachin was using her constitutional authority during his absences from the state, Wasden’s office crafted an opinion that basically said Little could ignore the state constitution and refuse to transfer power.
Also, when legislators pointed out that the state constitution only gave Governor Little the authority to keep Idaho in a state of emergency for sixty days before consulting the Legislature, his wingman Wasden twisted the words of the state constitution to allow the emergency declaration to go on indefinitely.
Is there something in the water in Boise that causes people to lose sight of their mission to protect the liberties of Idahoans and defend the integrity of our state constitution? AG Wasden seems to think it is his job to help expand the power of the executive, not follow our bedrock law.
Two Idaho attorneys have decided that four terms are more than enough for Mr. Wasden.
Art Macomber of Couer d’Alene has been practicing property law for fifteen years, with a variety of experiences before that which have given him a broad perspective on constitutional issues. Macomber has argued cases before the Idaho Supreme Court as well as taught law at Gonzaga University.
Mr. Macomber is an unabashed Christian, an outspoken conservative, and claims to be unafraid to stand up to the political establishment. His priorities are fighting both federal overreach and an out-of-control Idaho executive branch.
This all sounds fantastic. Art Macomber is exactly who we need fighting the swamps of both Boise and DC. Unfortunately, he is relatively unknown outside of the Idaho Panhandle. Early polling has him several dozen percentage points behind the incumbent. In a two-man race, Mr. Wasden would likely win through sheer inertia.
But this is not a two-man race.
Last November, former Congressman Raúl Labrador announced his own campaign for attorney general. Who in Idaho does not know his name and his accomplishments?
In 2010 he was elected to Congress in the Tea Party revolution, and he subsequently cofounded the House Freedom Caucus with such conservative stalwarts as Jim Jordan, Mark Meadows, and Ron DeSantis. In 2018 he ran for governor, losing a close race to Brad Little. In 2021, he was appointed to the Central District Board of Health, immediately revoking their onerous mask mandate.
Mr. Labrador had a long career in both public and private sector law before running for Congress. As a Tea Party champion, he was despised by the Republican establishment, even more so after he defeated their preferred candidate in a contested primary. Yet he has never shied away from fighting the political machines that run our state. He wants to return the office of attorney general to its role of enforcing the state constitution and holding the executive branch accountable rather than acting as its wingman.
Mr. Labrador lives in my hometown of Eagle, and so I have had many opportunities to hear him speak and converse with him about various political issues. He is always friendly and outgoing, with great command of the facts and the issues. He brings a unique perspective to the discussion, having served in the state legislature and the US Congress as well as working for many years in private sector law. I believe that Labrador has a great vision for what the role of the attorney general should be, and his experience is sorely needed in Boise, whoever our next governor turns out to be.
Our country is in the midst of uncertain times. The sovereign states of America are going to have to make some hard choices in the next few years as an out-of-control federal government cracks down on dissent. The next attorney general of the state of Idaho will be an important factor in those choices. Do we really want that to be a career politician like Lawrence Wasden, who simply rubber-stamps whatever overreach the governor has in mind?
I love what Mr. Macomber is saying. I think his ideas and principles are exactly what we need throughout our state and our country. I hope that whatever happens, he remains a part of the great discussion. However, I believe that Mr. Labrador exhibits the best combination of conservative values and the name recognition needed to win a statewide race.
This May, Idaho Republicans will have a chance to send a message to the established political machine in their votes for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. Of those three, this might be the most winnable race. Vote for Raúl Labrador and let’s bring some solid constitutional law back to the Capitol.