The General Election is quickly approaching and candidates running for office are going head-to-head during the Idaho Debates hosted by Idaho Public Television.
In case you missed the attorney general debate Monday, here is a recap.
Attorney general candidates Raul Labrador and Tom Arkoosh faced off Monday night, debating why they both believe they should sit in the Idaho attorney general’s seat.
“I am a strong conservative advocate for the values of Idaho,” Labrador said.
Labrador is the republican ticket, formerly a part of congress and Idaho's house of Representatives. He now is an attorney in Nampa and also sits on the Central District Health board.
“I want to run a law office, and I think my opponent wants to run a cultural war room,” Arkoosh said during his opening statement.
Arkoosh has primarily worked in private practice but he does have experience in the Washington Attorney General’s office.
The debate quickly started off with both candidates arguing about each other political views and qualifications.
The two panelists asking questions included Idaho News 6’s Jake Garcia and Kelsey Moseley-Morris of the Idaho Capital Sun.
Unlike his opponent, Arkoosh has not held public office. When asked about how he would defend legislators with whom he disagrees politically with, he said he would implement more discussion.
“If you want an aggressive attorney general, and you want to get to the courts, and you want to have a fight with everybody you can find, you might vote for the other fella, but if you want to work out your problems in the middle and come together as a state, and focus on potholes, perhaps I’m your man,” Arkoosh said.
I had the privilege of asking the candidates running for Idaho Attorney General some questions tonight on @IdahoPTV's AG Debate.
— Jake Garcia (@JakeGarciaTV) October 4, 2022
You can watch the full debate here: https://t.co/4BZiLRJafp
Election Day is November 8th.
📸: Aaron Kunz, Idaho Public Television pic.twitter.com/BmXOxPPWNq
Garcia asked Labrador, “What will you do when asked to defend a law that you as an attorney know won’t hold up in court?”
“My opponent, the first thing that he announced was that he was not going to actually defend the laws of the State of Idaho that he was not going to defend the laws which he disagrees with,” Labrador said. “I will aggressively defend whatever the legislature does but what I hope to do is guide them in drafting the legislation so we don't lose as often as we have been losing in the past,” Labrador said.
Idaho’s abortion laws and lawsuits were also main talking points, as well as education. Plus, water rights, which are a big deal to Idahoans, and an area where the Attorney General’s Office can be highly utilized.
“My opponent has announced, after his water law experience which was one day on a water law tour rather than more than a decade in the courts, that he would sit down with other states and negotiate the apportionment of our water,” Arkoosh said. “That's the worst thing we could do is invite discussions with other states.”
“I don't consider myself an expert. I’m going to hire experts to work on that issue because that is an issue that's so important to the people of Idaho," Labrador rebutted. “It's so important to the farmers and I will have the best lawyers. I won't do what he just did, claim to be an expert and what the people in Idaho are tired of is people not listening to their concerns.”
Moseley-Morris asked each opponent if they accept the results of the 2020 election results.
“Yes,” answered Arkoosh. He then went on to criticize Labrador who says he accepts the results but thinks the election was problematic.
“What I say is that the election was stolen but it was stolen in plain sight. I don't think some of the wilder claims that have been made about the election process that they have been born out are true but there's no question that there were problems in the election process.”
To watch to full debate, click below.
