Justin Fairfax, a former federal prosecutor who's seeking the Democratic nomination for Virginia attorney general, has earned the endorsement of the Washington Post in his race against Mark R. Herring.
The 34-year-old Fairfax, a Washington, D.C., native and graduate of Duke University and Columbia Law School, is one to watch. Here's why the Post is backing him:
The two Democrats running for their party's nomination for attorney general, in a June 11 primary, are intent on steering away from the politically charged causes that Mr. Cuccinelli has championed. Both men — Justin Fairfax , a former federal prosecutor, and Mark R. Herring, a state senator representing Loudoun and Fairfax counties — are capable lawyers who would make top-notch attorneys general.
Mr. Fairfax, 34, who prosecuted robbery and drug cases in the U.S. Attorney's office in Alexandria after a stint at a corporate law firm, is the more dynamic candidate and our choice for the Democratic nomination. Mr. Herring has a greater range of experience, but Mr. Fairfax combines an agile and impressive command of the issues with a prosecutor's passion for justice.
He sees an opportunity to promote what he calls economic security by rooting out malfeasance in the markets for mortgage and student lending. We're haven't seen the evidence that those areas are in fact rife with fraud, but we do think Mr. Fairfax is fair-minded and bright enough to make adjustments along the way.
Read more at the Washington Post.