As ballots were still being tallied to determine the final results of the midterm elections, Republican Brenna Bird defeated Democrat Tom Miller to become the new attorney general of Iowa. Miller was the U.S. state attorney general with the longest tenure.

KCCI-TV reported that the battle between Bird and Miller was close, with Bird winning 50.84 percent of the vote and Miller trailing closely behind with 49.16 percent.

According to The Associated Press, Miller has served as state attorney general for close to four decades.

Miller began his tenure in 1978 and, with the exception of a failed run for governor from 1990 to 1994, remained attorney general for decades.

However, he contacted Bird on Tuesday evening to concede. On Wednesday, the AP officially called the race.

“Of course we’re disappointed with the result tonight. But briefly a short time ago I called Brenna Bird, congratulated her and told her she’s going to get a great job. And it is an absolutely great job,” Miller told reporters after the loss.

A thankful @Miller4IA after a roughly 40-year run as Iowa’s Attorney General comes to and end. pic.twitter.com/ZgY1rXxVli

— James Stratton KCCI (@JStrattonKCCI) November 9, 2022

The Republican Attorneys General Association, which helped fund Bird’s campaign, praised her and emphasized that her victory was aided by the strong support of law enforcement throughout Iowa.

“Brenna was an outstanding candidate and earned this victory through a hard-fought campaign,” RAGA chairman and South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a statement celebrating Bird’s win.

“Nearly all of Iowa’s sheriffs, both Democrats and Republicans, endorsed AG-elect Bird, a former prosecutor, because she is focused on beefing up the criminal justice system, advocating for victims of crime, and standing up for law enforcement.

“She will also push back against the reckless policies coming out of Washington, D.C. or Des Moines that make it harder to lock up the bad guys and prevent law enforcement from doing their job,”

“Bird will make instant contributions to the ongoing legal efforts by Republican AGs trying to stop the Biden Administration from violating the Constitution and bastardizing the rule of law,” RAGA executive director Peter Bisbee added to the statement.

More on this story via The Western Journal:

In her victory speech on Tuesday, Bird told her supporters that she would be supporting law enforcement and fighting crime as Iowa’s attorney general. CONTINUE READING…