Former U.S. Attorney Nick Brown challenges state Sen. Manka Dhingra in race for WA attorney general

Former U.S. Attorney Nick Brown is throwing his hat in the ring to become Washington state's next attorney general.

Last month, Brown resigned from his job as the U.S. attorney for Western Washington. Now he's announced his bid to become the state's next attorney general. He previously served as general counsel for Gov. Jay Inslee.

"That leadership experience, I think, is important for me and is hopefully something that will give people confidence that I can do the job," Brown told Northwest News Network.

Brown was appointed to his role as U.S. attorney by the Biden administration in October 2021. He focused on civil rights issues, the drug crisis, public safety, and gun crime. Brown stepped down from the job in June, saying that he was "grateful for the opportunity" and that he hoped "to return to public service in the future." He was the first Black U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington.

He also previously worked for Seattle-based Pacifica Law Group, was an assistant attorney for the Western District of Washington before that, and was an attorney in the Army. In 2001, he was a contestant on the second season of "Survivor," which took place in the Australian Outback.

In his first campaign video, "Give a Damn," Brown emphasizes his upbringing in Steilacoom, Wash. and time in the military.

Brown is only the second person officially running for the office. State Sen. Manka Dhingra announced her decision to run for attorney general in May. She has already garnered various endorsements from Democrats across Western Washington.

Dhingra hails from Redmond. She entered her role as a state senator in 2017. Her campaign for attorney general highlights her experience as a prosecuting attorney for King County and her participation in various police advisory groups.

Dhingra says in a campaign video that her priorities have been "to protect survivors, and end the cycle of violence, putting domestic abusers and child predators behind bars, prosecuting gun crimes, and addressing mental illness and substance use disorder."

Meanwhile, current Attorney General Bob Ferguson is running for governor.