BOISE, Idaho – You may not agree with him, but you probably know where he stands on the major political issues of the day. Newly elected Attorney General Raul Labrador admits he is a very straight man. Labrador was raised by a single mother who struggled financially in Puerto Rico, but Labrador says her mother provided everything she needed as a child. I asked the Attorney General, did he and his mother discuss politics when they were young?
โYou know, my mom was real political, so we grew up in Puerto Rico, moved to Las Vegas in high school, and politics was discussed the whole time. My mom was a staunch Democrat, she was a JFK Democrat, and she talked to Used to love the Kennedy family.”
In fact, he attended a Ted Kennedy rally when he was eleven. Quite the opposite of what he would become later in life. Labrador says his mother switched parties in 1981 because of Ronald Reagan.
Labrador explains, “Why did this one guy change this other guy so much that he changed his political identity? So I studied Reagan, to learn the values โโhe believed were the same values โโhe stood for.” raised me and the values โโthat I have, and that’s why I became a Republican.”
That, and then becoming a member of the LDS Church, set Labrador on a new path. a path that would lead him into politics, first as a state representative, then as a US Congressman and now as Idaho Attorney General.
Some people have a perception that the Labrador is a polarizing figure. Labrador responded to that charge.
“I don’t, I guess people in the media are not used to someone saying what they mean. I always find it interesting that the media would think that, instead of admiring the fact, I’m going to give you a straight answer.” I am.” When you ask me a question, answer it.”
Labrador, who ran unsuccessfully against Governor Brad Little four years ago, says his relationship with Little is cordial, but acknowledges that he and the governor are not always on the same page. He looks forward to working with legislators in 2023 on key issues such as immigration, curbing fentanyl use and defending the state constitution against federal overreach. Last week Attorney General Labrador filed a letter, along with twenty-one other state AGs, condemning the FDA for reversing decades of precedent and allowing abortion drugs to be delivered remotely.
“This is legislation that is in place for a reason. The state of Idaho believes that abortion, as it is, should be illegal, and after losing in the courts the FDA is trying to run around.”
Where Labrador’s path takes him next, he’s not showing his hand, but for the next four years at least, he’ll be doing the job he’s been elected to do.
