Oregon Public Broadcasting

It's a primary for all the marbles in the race for Oregon Attorney General. There are no Republicans running. So whoever wins the May Democratic primary will probably cruise to victory in November. Salem Correspondent Chris Lehman has a look at the two Democrats who could enforce laws that affect everything from your pocketbook to your personal safety.

Candidate John Kroger is a Federal prosecutor turned law professor.  His opponent, Greg Macpherson is an attorney and State Representative.  In the Oregon House he chairs the Judiciary Committee.  But the race might not hinge on resumes.  Instead, it could come down to a difference in philosophy.  Is the Attorney General the state’s top prosecutor or the state’s top consumer advocate?

Macpherson:  "I think it’s clearly the latter."

That’s Greg Macpherson.  He says the Attorney General shouldn’t focus on criminals:

Macpherson:  "We have 36 District Attorneys who prosecute crime, and they do a great job of it in the 36 counties of the state.  What our Attorney General is, is the chief lawyer and advocate for Oregonians."

Macpherson says his legislative experience demonstrates the kind of advocacy he’d engage in as Attorney General:

Macpherson:  "I've passed laws cracking down on home meth labs, internet sex predators and identity theft, protecting people from crime and consumer fraud.  I helped write and pass Ballot Measure 49, protecting our open space and farmland from uncontrolled development."

Macpherson has the support of outgoing Attorney General Hardy Myers, and many have drawn comparisons between the two.  John Kroger says he’ll bring a different approach to the job.

Kroger:  "Hardy’s always been somewhat of a behind-the-scenes legal figure; someone who provides legal counsel to other state actors.  I plan to use the bully pulpit of the office to try to raise the profile of the office and to try to have an impact on public affairs throughout the state."

Kroger says he'll go after drug dealers by beefing up the Attorney General's organized crime unit.  And he says he'll crack the whip on renegade polluters.

Kroger: "Right now there’s not a single full-time environmental crimes prosecutor in the state of Oregon.  And as long as that’s the case, we’re never going to have an effective enforcement program. So one thing I will do is put full-time environmental crimes prosecutors on the staff at the Department of Justice to make sure that when people damage the environment and public health, we can go after them."

Kroger's vision for the Attorney General’s office would be a departure from recent Oregon tradition, says political analyst Jim Moore.  Still, Moore says he’s surprised at how low-key the race has been so far:

Moore: "We're not seeing huge numbers of ads.  We're not seeing a huge outreach to the community.  We’re not seeing an active campaign at this point.  Basically Kroger and Macpherson go talk to groups but that’s it."

Voters interested in the race will have to start paying attention soon.  No Republicans are running.  That means registered Democrats voting in the May primary will effectively select the next Oregon Attorney General.