A candidate for attorney general made a stop in Brookings. Will Lathrop made the 35th of his 36 county visits on Sept. 17, appearing at the Chetco Community Public Library alongside District 1 State Rep. Court Boice.
Lathrop answered questions from the public and laid out his resume for politically engaged residents.
A sixth generation Oregonian, Lathrop did his undergraduate studies at the University of Puget Sound and Law School at Willamette University School of Law. He served as a deputy district attorney in Marion and Yamhill counties, where he worked in the Special Victims Unit, chaired the Sex Offender Protocol Board, and served on the Oregon DA Association’s legislative committee.
Following his time with the State, Lathrop began working with International Justice Mission, an international human rights organization. He began in Uganda, prosecuting land raids in the wake of the Ugandan Civil War and was soon promoted at IJM to lead their anti-trafficking operation in West Africa.
“I am a public servant, an experienced prosecutor, and a victims advocate. Not a politician,” said Lathrop. “With two decades of law enforcement experience, I have dedicated my entire career to public service by protecting women and children from violence and abuse. I represent a wave of new leadership that is committed to solving problems and holding people accountable.”
He added, “I am confident that together, we can fix this.”
Lathrop puts a lot of emphasis on his time protecting women and children from violence and abuse. In fact, protecting children from exploitation is one of his campaign’s three core tenants. The attorney general is Oregon’s Chief Law Enforcement Officer, leading the charge on prosecuting organized crime in Oregon, but it is also the state’s Chief Child Protection Officer tasked with protecting the most vulnerable among us.
Questions about child protection were asked during the community visit. Other concerns included accountability for government and law enforcement, and reducing departmental corruption, another of the campaign’s main focuses.
A big point of concern was funding gaps in rural counties. Both Curry County and Coos County had law enforcement levies shut down in the voting booth in the past year, leading to reduced capacity of local jails and layoffs. The Curry County Sheriff’s Department cut 19 positions after Measure 8-114, a $2.23/$1000 of assessed property value levy, failed to garner support.
“It was great touring the beautiful Southern Oregon Coast and visiting with local community members in Brookings,” said Lathrop. “Many of their concerns are consistent with what I hear in every part of the state. People are concerned about fundamental public safety and the overwhelming influx of drugs coming into our state.”
According to his campaign website, “Will plans to rebuild the Criminal Justice Division, and develop collaborative strategies with state, local, and federal law enforcement authorities to combat organized crime and hold drug traffickers accountable.”
Lathrop is the Republican candidate for the position, after beating out the previous cycle’s candidate, Michael Cross, in the primary. Cross lost to current AG Ellen Rosenblum in the 2020 election.
Rosenblum will not be seeking reelection and instead, Lathrop will be facing off against Oregon State Rep. Dan Rayfield of the Democratic and Working Families parties.
For more information, visit www.willlathrop.com.
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