Brown and Serrano clash over consumer protection, public safety and abortion at AWB debate

SPOKANE — Republican Pete Serrano and Democrat Nick Brown, the two candidates for Washington state attorney general, sparred Thursday at a lunchtime debate hosted by the Association of Washington Businesses and broadcast on TVW over how the office should balance advising state agencies, defending laws and pursuing policy.

Serrano, the mayor of Pasco, opened the debate by saying the attorney general’s primary constitutional duty is to advise the state and to constrain agency overreach. "The attorney general's office needs to focus back on what its mission constitutionally is," Serrano said, arguing that recent attorneys general had taken on policy positions and used statutes such as the Consumer Protection Act in ways he described as harmful to businesses.

Brown, a former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington, replied that the office is "the people's lawyer" and must use its full set of tools — litigation, the Consumer Protection Act and civil-rights enforcement — to protect Washington residents. Brown noted the size of the office, saying there are "about 800 lawyers serving across the state, 1,600 total staff members," and argued that experience managing a large public-law office is essential to the job.

Why it matters: The attorney general decides when and how the state sues, defends or advises on matters ranging from consumer fraud and labor disputes to reproductive rights and environmental litigation. The candidates' sharply different views on whether the AG should press policy goals or restrain agency action would shape how Washington’s government responds to high-profile issues.

On consumer protection, Serrano said the AG should advise agencies and protect consumers but avoid weaponizing the Consumer Protection Act against businesses. Brown countered that the statute is a critical enforcement tool to stop companies that mislead or harm Washingtonians and pledged to use it "aggressively." "When we're using the Consumer Protection Act to stop a company that's having bad or illegal and improper business activities, that prevents them from having an unfair advantage," Brown said.

The candidates also debated the office’s relationship with the governor. Serrano emphasized constitutional separation and said the AG must provide independent constitutional advice; Brown said the AG has an obligation to defend client agencies while also advocating for Washington residents.

On abortion and reproductive care, Brown said he would be "a staunch defender of abortion access" in Washington, citing the state's protective statutes after the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs. Serrano said he would follow constitutional guidance and respect the people's role in deciding policy through initiatives and referenda.

Public safety and criminal justice were recurring themes. Brown stressed a prosecutorial background and said the AG should pursue strategies that keep communities safe while avoiding excessive sentences. Serrano criticized what he called a failure of prior approaches to stem rising crime and fentanyl deaths and said public-safety priorities should lead the office.

The debate turned heated at times. Brown pressed Serrano on earlier remarks characterizing some Jan. 6 defendants as "political prisoners." Serrano defended the language in part by citing examples of people detained without timely counsel in certain federal cases; Brown rejected the label for people who assaulted law enforcement, saying, "I just don't know how assaulting law enforcement officer is a political charge."

Other topics included homelessness, where Serrano described local Pasco measures such as traffic-pattern changes and investment in recovery centers and said the AG could use amicus briefs or legal opinions to help jurisdictions; Brown proposed using the AG's expertise to help expand affordable housing and to hold people accountable when they harm others. On labor, Brown said he supports creating a consolidated labor and worker-protection division in the AG’s office to pursue wage-theft and safety cases; Serrano said many of those fixes are legislative but that the AG can advise.

Both candidates closed by reiterating core themes: Serrano emphasized transparency, constitutional limits and advising agencies; Brown highlighted his public-safety experience and a commitment to use the office to improve Washingtonians' lives. The moderator, Paul Reed, thanked the candidates and the Association of Washington Businesses and reminded attendees the debate was being carried live on TVW. The candidates are scheduled to meet again in another debate the following day.

The debate contained no formal votes or actions by the host organization; it was a candidate forum attended by business leaders and broadcast on TVW.