By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Nick Brown, a former U.S. Attorney, General Counsel to Gov. Jay Inslee, and Army JAG officer, recently announced his campaign for Washington State Attorney General. Underlining his resume in the state and federal government, the courtroom, Brown says that he is fully prepared to keep the people of Washington safe.
“The job of AG is one of the most important jobs for elected officials in the state,” says Brown. “Because you are in a literal sense the lawyer for the people of the state of Washington. You’re helping to support not only the state government but protecting and defending the interest of Washingtonians, and making sure their rights, values and interests are protected.”
As Attorney General, Brown says that he will crack down on gun violence, protect our democracy, stand up to corporations taking advantage of consumers, and always fight to protect abortion access.
“Keeping Washington families safe has been my life’s work,” said Brown. “As U.S. Attorney, I successfully prosecuted violent crimes, drug cartels, and people who preyed on children. As general counsel for Governor Inslee, I stood up to Donald Trump to help stop the Muslim ban. In the Army JAG Corps, I fought to defend our soldiers and our freedom. As Attorney General, I’ll keep fighting for the people and families of Washington every day.”
“My parents taught me the importance of doing what is right, not what is easy,” continued Brown. “That meant caring about our neighbors and community, and giving a damn about what really matters in life. Back then, that meant serving my country in the Army. Today, that means being an Attorney General who will fight for the right of every person in our state to be safe, no matter your age, race, gender, zip code, or who you love.”
Brown, who grew up in Pierce County, joined the Army ROTC to help pay for his education at Morehouse College. He went on to receive his law degree from Harvard Law School, and after graduation, Brown served in the Army as a JAG officer.
During his tenure in the Army, Brown protected soldiers from fraud and stopped corporations from ripping off military families. In Iraq, Brown served his fellow troops, defended our freedom, and earned the Bronze Star Medal.
Returning home, Brown worked as a prosecutor before Gov. Inslee appointed him to serve as his General Counsel, where he oversaw the governor’s work to end the death penalty in Washington state. Brown then returned to private practice helping public, private, and non-profit clients navigate complex civil litigation and constitutional issues.
In 2021 President Biden asked Brown to serve his country once more, this time as U.S. Attorney for Western Washington. As a U.S. Attorney, Brown oversaw an office of 140 personnel and successfully prosecuted sex trafficking cases, and went after drug cartels to help keep fentanyl off our streets. A recognized leader in civil rights cases, Brown brought a focus to keeping every Washingtonian safe by preventing and prosecuting hate crimes, and protecting members of marginalized communities and the most vulnerable.
“As I looked at my own career, principally in the public sector arena, thinking about what I wanted to do and how I could I serve, I was drawn to the AG’s race and the opportunity to lead the state as the state’s lawyer.”
“One of the most important aspects of this job is what kind of leader and person are you going to get and how they approach the job,” says Brown. “In particular, in a job of this nature where the AG office has over 800 lawyers, 1700 employees across the state, how you show up as a leader and approach the people and the work your doing is really, really important.”
“I lead with clarity, with transparency and with a clear vision for the work that we have to accomplish on behalf of the people and I’ve been in various leadership positions throughout the entirety of my career as a lawyer, so for the last 20 years I’ve held various leadership positions and most recently as U.S. Attorney where I had to help build a culture, and set a vision and lead not only internally but had to lead and show up for the public as well,” continued Brown.
Brown fully understands the historic nature of his candidacy for attorney general, but says that he is focused on proving to voters that he is the best person for the job.
“I’m super excited about this opportunity and I bring a great deal of experience,” says Brown. “I am also mindful of what it means to be a Black man running for statewide office. I recognize never in Washington state history have we had an African American/Black person in statewide office, outside of the Supreme Court. There has never been a chance for someone like me, that looks like me to have that job, and it is important for me to represent not only myself and my values but try to bring my history and my culture, my people’s history to the job.”
“So, this is a tremendous opportunity to change not only the work of the office but also what it looks like, and hopefully inspire other people to also see themselves in those positions. I am excited to get started,” concluded Brown.
