Oregon attorney general candidates face off in KOIN 6 debate

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — Two candidates vying to be the state of Oregon’s next top lawyer are facing off in a debate on KOIN 6 Wednesday night.

Will Lathrop, a former deputy district attorney in Yamhill and Marion counties and an office director for the International Justice Mission, which does humanitarian work, is running as a Republican. Dan Rayfield, a Democrat, has served in the Oregon House of Representatives since 2015 and served as House Speaker from 2022 to March of 2024.

The attorney general heads the Oregon Department of Justice, which serves as the state’s law firm. The Oregon DOJ employs about 1,300 people statewide and has a biennial budget of $550 million. The non-partisan office of attorney general is now held by Ellen Rosenblum, who chose not to run for re-election.

KOIN 6 Political Director Ken Boddie is moderating the debate. KOIN 6 is also partnering with the City Club of Portland for the debate. Founded in 1916, the non-profit City Club of Portland’s mission is to provide civic education, spur civic engagement, and to motivate the community to action.

Watch the debate in the video players below.

Watch the second part of the debate in the video player below.

A live blog of the debate is below.

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