Give McKenna a second term

• Published October 15, 2008

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Attorney General Rob McKenna faces a formidable challenge from well-qualified Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg. Nonetheless, voters should return McKenna to a second term Nov. 4.

Democrat Ladenburg, 59, an attorney, managed his law firm before he was elected to the Tacoma City Council. In 1986, he was elected Pierce County prosecutor, and Ladenburg has spent the past seven years as the chief executive in Pierce County government, where he takes credit for putting Sound Transit on sound financial terms, reducing unemployment and increasing wages in the county.

Ladenburg is sharply critical of the job that McKenna has done over the past four years. Ladenburg says McKenna is more about self-promotion than getting things done. The challenger gives the incumbent little credit for making headway on the methamphetamine problem or in protecting consumers. Ladenburg stresses his experience as a trial attorney and says he will be a strong advocate for open and transparent government.

What the race boils down to is a candidate who says he'll do a good job, versus an incumbent who has done a good job. If the Attorney General's Office was poorly represented or poorly managed, Ladenburg would be a good choice. But it's not, and he's not.

McKenna has a solid record of accomplishments and has a clear vision of where he wants to take the office in the next legislative session and beyond.

The 46-year-old Republican attorney general has an equally impressive background in public service. McKenna, too, served in private practice before he was elected to three terms on the Metropolitan King County Council. Voters elected him attorney general four yeas ago. And in a head-to-head race against Ladenburg in the August primary, McKenna emerged with almost 57 percent of the vote — including a strong majority in Ladenburg's home county.

McKenna rightfully stresses his accomplishments in three key areas: manager of the state's largest law firm with more than 500 attorneys representing state agencies and taxpayers; the top lawyer and chief law enforcement officer of the state; and an advocate for sound public policies.

In the management arena, McKenna has cut attorney turnover from 12 percent to 6 percent and reduced the number of professionals leaving the office (generally for higher pay) by one-third.

As the top lawyer in state government, McKenna has negotiated incredibly complex cases with national significance. McKenna also has successfully argued two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

But perhaps McKenna's most impressive work has come in the state Legislature on behalf of consumers, taxpayers and victims of crime. As a Republican, McKenna faces a hostile, Democratic environment in the Legislature and Governor's Mansion, yet 75 percent of McKenna's legislative proposals have been enacted by lawmakers and signed into law. McKenna has been a strong advocate for open and transparent government, has battled identity theft and has helped drive meth cooks from the state. He has pushed legislation to better protect victims of domestic violence and to keep sexual predators away from children. He's got a dozen bills ready to go for the 2009 legislative session, including Internet safety for youths, prosecuting Medicaid fraud and the protection of vulnerable adults.

Where Ladenburg stresses his ability in the courtroom, McKenna has demonstrated his abilities as manager of a key state agency. Voters should re-elect Rob McKenna on Nov. 4.