Former prosecutor and Border Patrol section chief for the U.S. Attorney’s Office Lacy Cooper has launched her campaign for Arizona Attorney General.
“I can’t sit back while the state I love is suffering so greatly from the consequences of the federal government’s failure to prioritize public safety,” Cooper explained as her reasoning for entering the race.
According to Cooper’s website, her campaign will focus on protecting the border, Constitution, and the police — among other priorities.
“When it comes to the border crisis, I will take immediate action to vigorously fight against the Mexican cartels, while also advocating for lawmakers to close the immigration loopholes that I’ve seen throughout my career,” she promised.
Before entering the race, she served as a federal prosecutor that targeted Mexican cartels who were trafficking drugs and humans into the United States and firearms and money to Mexico. Additionally, as Border Security Section Chief in the United States Attorney’s Office, Lacy prosecuted gang members throughout the community and terrorists who took advantage of loopholes in the United States’ immigration system.
Further, Cooper has been an outspoken critic of the Biden administration’s handling of the crisis on the Southern border. “This is a crisis. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has declared a state of emergency in several counties and deployed the National Guard. And it is a crisis that is entirely President Joe Biden’s making. Every action by this administration sends a direct signal to bad actors who control the flow of immigrants and drugs across the border,” she wrote in the USA today.
Cooper joins two other declared Republican candidates: former Arizona Supreme Court justice Andrew Gould and Tiffany Shedd.
The Attorney General vacancy is being opened by Mark Brnovich, recently declaring his candidacy for U.S. Senate. He entered the GOP primary with hopes of eventually defeating Democrat Mark Kelly.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for the Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Lacy Cooper” by Lacy Cooper for AZ.
