Democrat Scott Hassett will face current Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, a Republican, in November. He’s vying for the position, Hassett says, partly because Van Hollen has politicized the agency.

“I am bothered by what I see happening in the Department of Justice. I think the incumbent has used it for partisan political purposes and that’s not something I would do.”

Hassett says while he hasn’t made his grand announcement tour, he has been working on his campaign since August. The former DNR secretary says he’s got the experience needed to be the state’s top cop. [Read more...]

If reelected, Attorney General JB Van Hollen says he’ll continue to do exactly what’s working as the state’s top cop.

“Well I’m one of those people who doesn’t believe you have to promise to do things when you run for reelection. If you’re doing things well, and you’re doing important things, there’s nothing better than to continue to do those.”

Having said that, Van Hollen admits that avoiding another backlog of DNA evidence in the Wisconsin Crime Labs remains important. Also he says, the state is only at the tip of the iceberg with regard to protecting children. [Read more...]