What does a state attorney general do?

What this office controls

• Decides which lawsuits the state files and which federal actions the state challenges in court.
• Enforces state consumer-protection, antitrust, and civil-rights law.
• Issues legal opinions interpreting state law that agencies generally follow.
• Oversees criminal appeals and, in some states, prosecutes specific categories of crime.

What it can’t do

Just as important, and the source of most misplaced expectations about the job:

• Generally does not prosecute ordinary local crime — that is the district attorney's job.
• Cannot write law or overrule courts.

Why this race matters

Attorneys general have become one of the most consequential offices in American politics because of multistate litigation: a single AG can join or block lawsuits that determine national policy on the environment, health care, immigration, or technology regulation.

What to look for in a candidate

• Litigation record and legal experience.
• Which multistate lawsuits they have joined or declined.
• Consumer-protection enforcement priorities.
• Independence from the governor.