Iowa AG candidates offer different priorities

The Republican and Democratic candidates for Iowa attorney general offer contrasts in nearly every way, from their age and gender to stands on issues such as health care and gay marriage.

Democratic Attorney General Tom Miller was first elected in 1978, when he ran he ran as a longshot candidate against incumbent Richard Turner. Now 66, Miller faces 34-year-old Republican Brenna Findley in the Nov. 2 election.

"I'm 34 years old, the same the current attorney general was back in 1978 when he ran for attorney general and beat the incumbent," said Findley. "So you can see I'm following in his footsteps a little bit, as far as that's concerned."

The similarities seem to end there.

Miller has served as attorney general since that first election, except for a four-year stretch beginning in 1990 when he ran unsuccessfully for governor. During that time, Miller said he's focused on the needs of the public, including creating a consumer protection division that focuses on fraud often aimed at elderly Iowans.

"I view the office of attorney general as just this wonderful opportunity to use the law to serve the interests of ordinary Iowans," said Miller. "That's my goal. That's my passion."

Findley has focused attention on other issues, such as her belief that the attorney general's office should file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of health care reforms backed by President Barack Obama and approved by Congress.

Findley is a former aide to U.S. Rep. Steve King, an outspoken conservative from western Iowa who has repeatedly called for the repeal of the health care law.

Like her former boss, Findley said there's a strong case to challenge the law, as 20 attorneys general have done, all but one a Republican.

"It's a strong constitutional argument, 20 states have already joined it and I would say it's an argument we need to make on behalf of Iowans," Findley said.

Miller has declined to join the lawsuit and said Findley is allowing ideology to trump the law. He called that a fatal flaw for the state's top legal office.

"First and foremost, the attorney general's office is a law office and has to be bound by the law, not by policy and politics or ideology," said Miller, adding that he studied the health care reform measure and decided the chances of winning a challenge were slim and would waste taxpayer money.

"Once you look at the law, the case is very strong that it's constitutional," said Miller. "When you're attorney general, you have to follow the law. That's what I've done and that's where the law leads in this case."

The two also differ sharply on an Iowa Supreme Court decision striking down a state law banning gay marriage.

"As attorney general I would have defended our defense of marriage act in court," said Findley. "I believe the correct thing to do now is to put it to the Legislature so that the Legislature can pass a constitutional amendment and let the people vote on the question."

Miller countered that it's been more than a year since same-sex marriages were allowed in Iowa, and he can't see that the change has created any problems.

"There doesn't seem to be any enormous consequences from that that's detrimental to our state," he said.

Miller has breezed to re-election in some elections, but Findley has run a relatively high-profile campaign.

Campaign finance disclosure reports this summer showed Miller had pulled in about $230,000, but Findley had raised about $164,000, a big number for a candidate making her first run at public office.

Findley has been endorsed by a host of state and national candidates, including Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, mentioned by some as a Republican presidential candidate in 2012. And earlier in the week, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, known for his opposition to Obama's health plan, came to Iowa to campaign for Findley.

Findley said that after her travels around the state, she feels good about her chances.

"What I hear from Iowans is they want some new blood in the attorney general's office," she said. "They want someone who will work hard and be accountable to them, be accessible and listen to them. That's the wave that's building out there."

Miller acknowledged that national trends seem to be favoring Republicans but noted he's won before when other Democrats had rough elections.

"This is just a crazy year and nobody knows what's going to happen," said Miller. "There is an anti-incumbent mood, but voters have always been discerning, particularly in state races."