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Former US attorney announces bid for state attorney general

Pat Miles
Pat Miles

Another Democrat entered the ring for Michigan’s Attorney General Thursday.

Pat Miles is a former U.S. Attorney for Michigan’s Western District. He was appointed to the U.S. Attorney post by President Barack Obama. He voluntarily resigned when President Donald Trump took office.

Trump’s election was a driving force behind Miles’s decision to run, he said.

“We need somebody who will be an independent watchdog and who doesn’t answer to a president, a governor, or to corporate special interests, but only answers to the people,” Miles said.

Miles is the second Democrat to announce a run for the office. So far, he’ll go up against Dana Nessel. She’s a former attorney in the case that legalized same-sex marriage. On the Republican side, Senator Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton, has declared her candidacy and Speaker of the House Tom Leonard, R-Dewitt, is also considering a run. Current Attorney General Bill Schuette is term limited and cannot run again.

According to Miles, his record of preventing and prosecuting crime sets him apart from other candidates.

“I am prepared to do this job as Attorney General from day one,” he said. “They might talk about what they’re going to do or promise to do something. I’ve actually done this job.”

Government corruption, violent crime, and consumer protection are among the issues Miles said he would tackle if elected Attorney General. Another area he is especially focused on is the opioid epidemic.

Miles said, “I really think that Michigan has done too little too late to battle this epidemic. It’s a public health crisis.”

Who ends up on the 2018 ballot will be decided at next year’s state party convention.

Copyright 2017 Michigan Radio

Before becoming the newest Capitol reporter for the Michigan Public Radio Network, Cheyna Roth was an attorney. She spent her days fighting it out in court as an assistant prosecuting attorney for Ionia County. Eventually, Cheyna took her investigative and interview skills and moved on to journalism. She got her masters at Michigan State University and was a documentary filmmaker, podcaster, and freelance writer before finding her home with NPR. Very soon after joining MPRN, Cheyna started covering the 2016 presidential election, chasing after Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and all their surrogates as they duked it out for Michigan. Cheyna also focuses on the Legislature and criminal justice issues for MPRN. Cheyna is obsessively curious, a passionate storyteller, and an occasional backpacker. Follow her on Twitter at @Cheyna_R