Idaho’s longest sitting Attorney General could lose his seat. Meet the Republicans in the race.

IDAHO — The polls open Tuesday, May 17, in Idaho. A highly contentious race is who will become the next Attorney General, and three Republican candidates want the nomination.

Challengers want to see change in the office and are giving the incumbent a run for his money. So far, donors have contributed more than $1.2 million to the three Republican candidates: Idaho’s current Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, and challengers Raúl Labrador and Art Macomber.

“I’m the right Republican because I’m the most conservative and aggressive person running for this office,” said Labrador.

“I have a significant business background, and I find it I have a special skill of translating the complexity of the law for non-lawyers,” Macomber said.

Wasden stands behind his 20-year record serving as the state’s longest-running Attorney General and says he’ll continue to uphold the role of AG if elected.

“This is not a political office, and it’s not intended to be a political office. It’s intended to be a law office,” Wasden said. “That’s precisely what I’ve done and what I will continue to do.”

The role of politics in the Attorney General’s office is where these candidates disagree.

“When you’re the Attorney General, you don’t represent Conservatives or Liberals or Moderates or Democrats or Republicans or Libertarians, that’s not what your job is,” Wasden emphasized.

“Whoever gave you the impression that this is not a political position has not read the Constitution and has not read the statutes in the state of Idaho,” Labrador countered.

“The status of the law is that we don’t really care about left and right,” Macomber said. “What we care about is adherence to our constitution, and that has to be the anchor.”

All three are proud Republicans, but their priorities differ. Macomber is frustrated with Gov. Brad Little’s emergency powers and federal overreach.

“The federal government has grown too large, and it is clearly encroaching on state sovereign power,” he said.

Labrador says he plans to challenge the Biden administration.

“The Attorney General should stand up for the people of Idaho. Whether it’s overreach from the federal executive, or it’s overreach at the state executive.”

Wasden says he will also stand up to the current administration if it’s warranted but not just to pass lawsuits with no actual legal standing. He also wants to continue his work protecting young people from online criminals.

“That is a huge part of what we’re going to continue to do,” Wasden said.

Only one of these three will get to advance these priorities in Idaho. Whoever wins the election will advance against Democrat challenger, Steven Scanlin, in the November election. Polls are open in Idaho from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17.

READ: Idaho gubernatorial candidates explain their stance on abortion

COPYRIGHT 2022 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.