Lawrence Wasden

Lawrence Garth Wasden (born November 3, 1957) is an American attorney and politician who served as the Idaho Attorney General from 2003 to 2023. First elected in 2002, he was the longest-serving attorney general in Idaho history.[1] Wasden was re-elected four more times before being defeated in the 2022 Republican primary by Raúl Labrador.

Lawrence Wasden
32nd Attorney General of Idaho
In office
January 6, 2003 – January 2, 2023
GovernorDirk Kempthorne
Jim Risch
Butch Otter
Brad Little
Preceded byAl Lance
Succeeded byRaúl Labrador
Personal details
Born
Lawrence Garth Wasden

(1957-11-03) November 3, 1957
Political partyRepublican
SpouseTracey Wasden
Children4
EducationBrigham Young University (BA)
University of Idaho (JD)

Education

Wasden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brigham Young University in 1982 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Idaho College of Law in 1985.[2]

Career

Wasden was admitted to the Idaho State Bar in 1985. He served as deputy prosecuting attorney in Canyon County, Idaho and prosecuting attorney in Owyhee County, Idaho. Wasden later served as chief of staff and deputy chief of staff to the Idaho attorney general and as a deputy attorney general for the Idaho State Tax Commission.[3]

Attorney general of Idaho

In July 2017, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton led a group of Republican Attorneys General from nine other states, including Wasden, plus Idaho Governor Butch Otter, in threatening the Donald Trump administration that they would litigate if the president did not terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy that had been implemented by President Barack Obama. Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery subsequently reversed his position and withdrew his participation from the proposed suit. Slatery went further to urge passage of the DREAM Act.[4][5] The other attorneys general who joined in making the threats against Trump included Steve Marshall of Alabama, Leslie Rutledge of Arkansas, Derek Schmidt of Kansas, Jeff Landry of Louisiana, Doug Peterson of Nebraska, Alan Wilson of South Carolina, and Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia.[6]

In 2019, Wasden and 16 other A.G. declined to join a letter in support of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act (H.R. 1595), sponsored by U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.), which would permit marijuana-related businesses in states and territories to use the banking system.[7]

In 2020, Wasden declined to join the Texas v. Pennsylvania, saying "Idaho is a sovereign state and should be free to govern itself without interference from any other state. Likewise, Idaho should respect the sovereignty of its sister states."[8]

2022 primary election
Results by county
  Labrador
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  Wasden
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%

In 2022, Wasden faced heavy opposition from the right. Attorney Arthur Macomber and former Congressman Raúl Labrador both filed to run against Wasden. Wasden lost the May 17 primary to Labrador by over thirteen points.[9]

Personal

Wasden is married and has four children.

Electoral history
Idaho Attorney General Republican Primary Election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lawrence Wasden 39,917 32.20
Republican Michael Bogert 37,862 30.50
Republican Todd Lakey 29,154 23.50
Republican Myron Dan Gabbert 17,071 13.80
Idaho Attorney General Election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lawrence Wasden 231,851 58.10
Democratic R. Keith Roark 167,353 41.90
Idaho Attorney General Republican Primary Election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lawrence Wasden (inc.) 89,327 73.70
Republican Myron Dan Gabbert 31,795 26.30
Idaho Attorney General Election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lawrence Wasden (inc.) 267,700 61.75
Democratic Robert "Bob" Wallace 165,857 38.25
Idaho Attorney General Election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lawrence Wasden (inc.) 367,737 100.00
Idaho Attorney General Republican Party Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lawrence Wasden (inc.) 83,850 59.10
Republican "Chris" Troupis 58,025 40.90
Idaho Attorney General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lawrence Wasden (inc.) 289,672 68.00
Democratic Bruce Bistline 136,081 32.00

References
  1. "NAAG | Lawrence Wasden". www.naag.org. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
  2. "Lawrence's Bio". www.lawrencewasden.com. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
  3. "BIO". www.lawrencewasden.com. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  4. "Tennessee's attorney general: I've changed my mind, DACA is good, pass the DREAM Act".
  5. Aguilar, Julián (2017-06-29). "Texas leads 10 states in urging Trump to end Obama-era immigration program". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  6. "SPLC denounces letter from 10 attorneys general seeking 'cruel and heartless' repeal of DACA". Southern Poverty Law Center. 2017-06-30. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  7. Burnett, Sara; Press, Associated (2019-05-08). "Attorneys general from 33 states urge banking reform for pot industry". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  8. "Idaho attorney general won't join Texas election lawsuit". AP NEWS. 2020-12-10. Retrieved 2020-12-10.
  9. "Election Night Results". livevoterturnout.com. 1999-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
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