Rep. Anthony G. Brown (D-Md.) is launching a bid to be Maryland’s next attorney general, the three-term congressman and former lieutenant governor said Monday, becoming the first major candidate to announce his candidacy for the office.
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Brown’s announcement came after incumbent Attorney General Brian Frosh (D) said last week that he would not seek reelection and decided to retire from his long career in public service. Frosh, 75, gained national attention for his successful lawsuits against the Trump administration on a variety of issues, including preserving the Affordable Care Act, challenging President Donald Trump’s travel ban and opposing his rollback of environmental regulations.
Brown, a veteran who represents Prince George’s County and parts of Anne Arundel County, said that over the course of his own nearly three-decade career as a lawyer, he has “consistently defended the most vulnerable,” noting his leadership in repealing Maryland’s death penalty when he served as lieutenant governor under then-Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) and decriminalizing marijuana. He said he has long been interested in the attorney general’s office, noting that when he returned from Iraq, he ran for attorney general for about two months before joining O’Malley’s ticket.
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“Brian Frosh has done a great job, and I want to make sure the next attorney general in Maryland is equally committed to equity and justice for all Marylanders,” Brown said in an interview. “This is not about leaving or running away from Congress, it is about moving in the direction of a position that gives me the opportunity to do even more for the people of Maryland.”
Brown said he was excited that the Maryland General Assembly gave the attorney general’s office the power to investigate deaths in police custody as part of the landmark police accountability legislation passed earlier this year and thinks it should be expanded to also include the ability for the office to prosecute officers, when it is warranted. His work in the military justice space and on national police accountability legislation following George Floyd’s murder in police custody, Brown said, have helped prepared him for the role of attorney general.
Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh will not seek reelection
Brown, who began his political career representing Prince George’s County in the Maryland House of Delegates, was defeated in his 2014 gubernatorial bid by Larry Hogan (R) — an outcome widely seen as an upset in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 2 to 1.
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Two years later, he won the congressional seat vacated by Donna F. Edwards, who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate.
Brown said he is confident that his congressional seat, which represents a deeply blue district, will be held by a Democrat. Among the names being floated as possible contenders in the race to succeed him are Edwards, former Prince George’s state’s attorney Glenn Ivey (D), state Del. Jazz Lewis (D-Prince George’s), Prince George’s County Council member Derrick Leon Davis (D-District 6) and state Sen. Melony Griffith (D-Prince George’s).
Brown said it was too early to say who he would support but said he is confident that voters will have a “great choice” among the candidates that run.
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In Brown’s endorsements announced Monday — including from Prince George’s State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy, civil rights lawyer William “Billy” Murphy and retired judge Alexander Williams Jr. — his supporters praised his moral compass and commitment to equity.
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“He understands how to use the power and influence of public office to get things done for people,” Murphy said in a statement. He continued: “Whether fighting to eliminate Maryland’s death penalty, or defending every American’s right to vote; whether supporting our children in foster care, protecting victims of abuse, or holding police accountable for misconduct, Anthony doesn’t and won’t back down.”
The only other candidate who has formally declared in the attorney general’s race is Jim Shalleck, a Republican from Montgomery County.