By effectively advocating for the people of Washington in several arenas, Bob Ferguson clearly has earned a second term as the state’s attorney general. The Columbian’s Editorial Board recommends a vote for the Seattle Democrat in his race against Libertarian Joshua Trumbull.
As always, this is merely a recommendation designed to enhance the discussion. The Columbian trusts the ability and desire of voters to examine the candidates and study the issues before casting an informed ballot.
Such an examination will reveal Ferguson’s numerous accomplishments since being elected in 2012. It also will reveal his willingness to take on huge corporate or government interests in defense of citizens. Most recently, Ferguson’s office filed a lawsuit against cable and internet giant Comcast, alleging more than 1.8 million violations of the state’s Consumer Protection Act. “This case is a classic example of a big corporation deceiving its customers for financial gain,” Ferguson said. “I won’t allow Comcast to continue to put profits above customers — and the law.”
That could be chalked up to election-year grandstanding — if it did not fit into a pattern for Ferguson. He has been at the forefront of efforts to force the federal government to live up to its court-mandated duty of cleaning up the Hanford Nuclear Reservation; he has led the way in a victorious lawsuit against the Grocery Manufacturers Association for campaign violations; and he took CenturyLink to task following an outage of 911 service that affected the entire state.
Ferguson has beefed up several of his office’s most important departments — the kind that advocate for average citizens who otherwise would be powerless against large corporations. The consumer protection unit has grown from five attorneys to 20, and the civil rights unit also has been bolstered. Of note, Ferguson says that those expansions are paid for by an increase in financial recoveries.
In addition to running the state’s largest law firm and overseeing more than 400 attorneys, Ferguson has brought an activist bent to the office. That can be seen in a recent declaration that he will seek legislation banning the sale of military-style rifles along with limits to high-capacity magazines. Some critics decry his efforts in this area, but Ferguson told The Columbian’s Editorial Board, “The attorney general is the top law-enforcement officer in the state; if not me, then who? If I have four more years, you can bet I’ll make more proposals on high-profile issues.”
This represents an effective use of the bully pulpit that comes with the position. This represents the difference between leadership and being just another elected official. While many have decried Ferguson’s stance regarding military-style weapons, the fact is that the issue will be up to the Legislature; he is merely forcing the issue into the spotlight.
Equally noteworthy is Ferguson’s consistent support for open government, including the development of training for both state and local officials and increased penalties for violations of open-records laws.
Trumbull, meanwhile, presents an articulate and thoughtful challenge to Ferguson, one that focuses upon increased consumer protection and a need to hold financial institutions accountable to the people. That is a worthy platform, but there is little evidence that Ferguson has fallen short in that regard.
Bob Ferguson has earned a second term as Washington’s attorney general, and The Columbian recommends that voters lend their support.
