Virginia prepares for close attorney general race in November

• Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, is set to face off Republican John Adams on Nov. 7 for a tight race in the “purple state.”
• Adams hopes his experience with appellate courts and serving as associate counsel to President Donald Trump is enough to beat the controversial current attorney general.

 

As the Nov. 7 elections approach, one race that has gained a lot of attention is that of the attorney general, where Republican John Adams is attempting to take the seat from incumbent Democrat Mark Herring.

The attorney general of Virginia is tasked with advising significant political figures, like the governor or general assembly, defending the state in lawsuits and criminal appeals and defending the constitutional validity of state laws.

Virginia elections are known for usually being very tight, and it has been considered a “purple state” — one that could belong to either party at any election — but has been leaning Democratic for the past few elections. The last Republican senator in Virginia was elected in 2002, the last Republican governor in 2009 and the last presidential candidate in 2004, according to the Washington Post.

The last attorney general election in 2013 was blisteringly close when Herring beat Republican Mark Obenshain by a razor-thin initial count of 165 votes.

This is fueling a series of campaigns where the candidates are trying to get as many people involved as possible.

“These are miniscule numbers,” Adams said. “We could take a few people from a few dorms and change the outcome of the election.”

Herring has served in office since 2013 and has proven to be a divisive attorney general, most notably by declining to defend the Virginia Marriage Amendment, an article that defined marriage as solely between one man and woman.

He has also been involved in undertakings supporting the citizens of Virginia, like helping Sweet Briar College stay open after the century-old campus announced it would close its doors because of financial troubles.

According to the Lynchburg Democratic Committee’s chair, Katie Cyphert, Herring is currently focused on the opioid crisis — which the Virginia Department of Health reports is responsible for 1,136 deaths, 40 percent higher than the 811 in 2015 — and how that is affecting not just the residents, but the police force as well.

“Mark Herring has done a lot of work over the last four years to work on the opioid crisis, to help local law enforcement deal with issues that are important to them, and he’s offered clarity on a lot of different things, which I think has been respected on both sides of the aisle,” Cyphert said. “I’m hoping that that record will lead to his re-election.”

Herring did not respond to comment.

Adams said he believes he is qualified for the position due to a long career as a lawyer.

“If you look at my background and experience, I graduated from (The University of Virginia) law school and clerked for a judge on the U.S Court of Appeals and clerked on the United States Supreme Court,” Adams said. “I’ve done a lot of appellate work in my life and one of the roles of the attorney general is to handle all criminal appeals and all appeals affecting the commonwealth of Virginia. I have that experience working with complex constitutional issues.”

Adams has also served as an associate counsel to President Donald Trump, which he says is significant as the attorney general is required to advise government officials on law. Adams has also served as a federal prosecutor and helped run McGuireWoods, a large law firm in Richmond.

“I think if you take my body of work as a lawyer, it had prepared me to be the attorney general in a good, high quality way for the citizens of Virginia,” Adams said.

Adams said the office is an advantage to Herring.

“Because he is in the office he has a natural podium to talk about issues that matter in the campaign and he gets news coverage from that because he is the attorney general,” Adams said. “He can use the office to run against me.”

Despite any seeming advantage presented by being the incumbent in the race, Cyphert said it might not be as helpful as it seems.

“I think it’s harder for the sitting attorney general to be high-profile in terms of campaigning because they’re working,” Cyphert said. “They don’t just work during session, which is what many of our senators and delegates do. The attorney general’s office is open and working Monday to Friday, year-round. I think it’s harder for him to run an effective campaign when he’s also responsible for doing his job every day.”

Despite the election coming one year after the heated and divisive presidential election, Cyphert said she does not believe the residents of Virginia will vote based on party alone.

“Virginia voters that participate in these off-year elections, they are looking very much at the candidates, and a lot of people here are voting split ticket,” Cyphert said. “You might see a Republican win for the top of the ticket and then a Democrat win for a lower office because people are often voting based on a person not necessarily on a party.”

Adams, too, is looking to clear party tensions and focus on the candidates.

“I’m all about doing the job and doing it right and whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, I think you appreciate someone who shows up and does their job and does it well,” Adams said. “When you remove the overtly political nature of the way my opponent has handled the office and start actually taking care of the office and doing what you’re supposed to be doing, that attracts the people across from the political spectrum.”

Although local deadlines to register to vote passed on Oct. 16, residents can register to vote absentee until Oct. 31. Students who plan to vote need to know their precinct and voting venue before election day, Nov. 7.

For more information contact the Dean of Students office, deanofstudents@liberty.edu, for on-campus assistance and the Lynchburg Registrar’s Office for voting and polling questions at  registrar@lynchburgva.gov.