WISCONSIN (NBC 26) — The midterm election is less than two weeks away and NBC 26 has been sitting down one-on-one with different candidates who will be on the November ballot.
Attorney General Josh Kaul is running for re-election.
"I'm proud of the record over the last four years at the DOJ (Department of Justice) and I hope that record has earned the support of folks in Wisconsin,” said Kaul, a Democrat.
He said if he wins a second term, he wants to build on that progress.
"I'm really proud of the work we have done at the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute some of the most serious crimes in the state of Wisconsin. We also worked to change the law. I've worked with Democrats and Republicans so that we can help prevent a future backlog of untested sexual assault kits. We've worked to hold opioid companies accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic,” said Kaul.
A key topic in the attorney general race is abortion.
After Roe v. Wade was overturned in June, Wisconsin's 1849 ban on abortion went into effect.
The ban has an exception for the life of the mother.
"Four days after Roe was overturned we filed suit seeking to block enforcement of Wisconsin's 1849 abortion ban. It has no exceptions for cases involving rape or incest or even to protect the health of the mother, unless it's necessary to save the life of the mother. That has left doctors in an incredibly difficult positions. So I've been clear we're not going to shift resources at the Department of Justice from investigating and prosecuting some of the most serious crimes in
Wisconsin to going after doctors and nurses for abortions,” Kaul said.
Throughout his term, Kaul has touted public safety being his top priority.
"My Safer Wisconsin plan, which I proposed almost a year ago, would put almost $100 million towards public safety, including investing in officer recruitment ,retention, wellness, community policing, victims services and other critical safety needs. I also support other critical public safety needs. I also support common sense gun safety measures. I'm a supporter of universal background checks,” Kaul said.
Another of his priorities is environmental safety.
Earlier this year, Kaul and Governor Evers filed a lawsuit against Wisconsin manufacturers regarding PFAS contamination of Wisconsin's water.
PFAS are so-called forever chemicals.
"I was in Marinette in late 2019. I had a listening session where I heard from people about the impact that the major contamination is having on people's lives. And I heard from people who were worried about their kids drinking the water from the tap. I heard from people who wanted to know why people who were in their high school class, sometimes in their 30s developed severe cancers. I heard from a realtor even who said I can't sell houses if people don't feel safe drinking the water that comes from the tap,” Kaul said.
Kaul also said he believes in taking steps to help keep guns out of the hands of people who have been shown to be a danger, like someone convicted of a violent crime.
"I also support common sense gun safety measures. I'm a supporter of universal background checks. I don't think that somebody should evade our background check system," Kaul said.
Whether he'll serve another term as state attorney general, is up to voters in this election.
Click here to see NBC 26's interview with Republican nominee for attorney general Eric Toney.
To watch all of the interviews that NBC 26 has done with other candidates, click here.
