WASHINGTON — Races for state attorney general are usually overshadowed by the battle for Congress in midterm elections, but next year those contests could matter significantly for President Joe Biden’s agenda as his administration faces an onslaught of lawsuits from Republicans.
Control of attorney general offices could also prove critical in the next presidential election after both parties were heavily involved in the contentious legal battles that followed the 2020 election with Democratic attorneys general defending Biden’s victory against attempts by their GOP counterparts seeking to overturn it.
Virginia Republican Jason Miyares’ victory this month over two-term Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring made him the first GOP challenger to beat an incumbent Democratic attorney general in any state since 2012. That could be a warning sign for Democrats as they seek to defend incumbent attorneys general in the key swing states of Wisconsin and Michigan.
