State AG election: Let McKenna continue what he started

If you want a contrast in style between candidates, you'll find it in the race for state attorney general. Incumbent Republican Rob McKenna, in his bid for a second term, faces a determined challenge from Democrat John Ladenburg.

Both are quality candidates with solid résumés. But we'll stick with McKenna for the job that pays $151,718 per year.

When we endorsed him four years ago, we saw McKenna as one of the brighter prospects on the state political scene. We particularly liked his common-sense approach to complex issues.

After four years, we now note that he has steadfastly supported better access to public records and more resources for fighting cyber crimes such as identity theft. He has emerged as an outspoken proponent of openness in government. He has been aggressive in cracking down on the scourge of methamphetamines.

As for the contrasting styles, McKenna, a former member of the King County Council, is polished and politically ambitious, to the point we have a lingering concern that he's also positioning himself for the next job, be it governor or a member of Congress. He is high profile in his role as the state's top attorney, charged primarily with representing state agencies in legal matters and the point man for consumer protection.

Ladenburg, currently the Pierce County executive, comes across as a plain-spoken former prosecutor who thinks the attorney general should have a lot of presence in courtrooms putting bad guys in jail. Picture the tough, crime-busting district attorney of "Law and Order."

Trouble is, we checked the office Web site and found that the attorney general in the state of Washington is not really a state-level, crime-fighting DA, as such. When it comes to investigations and criminal prosecutions, the Criminal Justice Division of the office has to be requested by the governor or city or county governments to take over cases. They can also respond to requests from local government for support help.

Beyond that, there are plenty of things to be involved in. And while McKenna's efforts in spearheading anti-meth and identity theft initiatives are laudable, they are not finished. We'd like to see more of that type of effort in other areas through interdepartmental task forces led by the attorney general's office. Certainly, gangs come to mind in this area.

McKenna has emerged as one of two premier spokesmen for openness in government, along with state Auditor Brian Sonntag. They co-sponsored legislation to mandate audio recording of executive sessions of local government entities. It met with heavy resistance from local government in this year's legislative session and will be back for another try in January. This time the prospects of passage are good.

The incumbent attorney general also was an effective spokesman for the state's new "top two" primary, which premiered Aug. 17. The system, which allows the top two vote-getters to advance to the general election, regardless of party, had been challenged by the state's two major parties. McKenna argued the state's case for keeping the primary before the U.S. Supreme Court and won.

All things considered, McKenna is a better fit for the job and should be returned by voters on Nov. 4.

* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Sarah Jenkins, Bill Lee and Karen Troianello.