How 11 Competitive AG Races Could Shape LGBTQ+, Abortion Rights
(CNN) -- Pitched battles over abortion rights and election falsehoods are playing out in attorneys general contests across the nation.Though the races receive less attention than federal races and contests for governor, 11 competitive races for states' top prosecutor underscore the crucial roles that attorneys general play in determining their states' approaches to the enforcement of abortion bans, election restrictions, federal policies, and more.Some Democratic attorneys general, such as Michigan's Dana Nessel and Wisconsin's Josh Kaul, have refused to defend their states' decades-old abortion bans in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v.
Wade.Republican attorneys general, meanwhile, have been at the forefront of legal battles with President Joe Biden's administration, including over student debt, gun control, and LGBTQ policies.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton led the effort to overturn the 2020 election results in four states -- a push that failed but has served as a model for ambitious conservatives in other states for how attorneys general offices could be used to fight political battles.Attorney general roles are also a frequent launching pad for higher-profile political offices.
Vice President Kamala Harris was once California's attorney general. Six current senators and six incumbent governors previously served that role in their states.Here's a look at 11 key attorneys general races on November's midterm ballots:Election deniers seeking powerIn Michigan, Nessel -- one of three Democratic women seeking reelection statewide, along with Gov.
