Former U.S. Attorney Nick Brown launched his campaign on Wednesday to be Washington state’s next attorney general.
In a campaign video announcing his run, Brown, thanked his parents for always teaching him the value of being involved and making a positive impact on the community.
“Dad served in the Army and then on the town council, and mom worked as a nurse and then as an administrator,” he says in the video. “They didn’t care if I made a lot of money or had fancy things; they just wanted me to be engaged, to give a damn about people, the community and what truly matters. My first job was at Taco Bell and it was there that I saw there’s dignity in all work, dignity in all people.”
Brown’s run for attorney general comes after he served just under two years as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington. President Joe Biden nominated Brown to be the first black U.S. attorney to serve Washington state, and the U.S. Senate confirmed him in 2021.
A native of the Evergreen State who grew up in Pierce County before heading to Harvard Law School, where he earned his law degree, Brown then went on to serve as a JAG officer in the U.S. Army.
From 2007 to 2013, he was assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington. From 2013 to 2017, he served as general counsel to Gov. Jay Inslee.
“In the Army, I fought to protect soldiers from fraud, stopped corporations from ripping off military families, and in Iraq I worked to defend our troops and our freedoms,” Brown says in his campaign video. “Then, I came home to Washington and worked as a lead counsel for Gov. Inslee, and together we stood up to Donald Trump and his Muslim ban and I’ll always be proud to have helped end the death penalty in our state. I was honored to make history when I was appointed U.S. attorney and put an emphasis on fighting drug cartels and sex trafficking while reducing violent crime and defending the civil rights of every Washingtonian.”
If elected, Brown, who is running as a Democrat, said his primary focus will include reducing gun violence, ensuring access to abortions and protecting consumers.
“I’m running for attorney general to create a legal system that’s truly just, and if you give a damn just like I do, I’d love for you to join our campaign,” he says in the campaign video.
Brown, 46, is poised to face off against Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, who announced in May that she is running for attorney general in 2024. Dhingra also has a background as a litigator.
She and Brown are so far the only two formally declared candidates for attorney general.
Current Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced in May that he has launched an exploratory bid for the 2024 governor’s race.
Inslee has said he will not be seeking an unprecedented fourth term.
