A former judge for the Yuma County Superior Court announced his campaign for Arizona Attorney General in Yuma on Monday.
Andrew Gould is the former Presiding Judge for Yuma County and most recently served on the Arizona Supreme Court. He retired in April.
Gould met with supporters on the steps of the Yuma County Courthouse and said he’ll take his knowledge of a rural county in Yuma to the State Capitol if elected.
“I’m from this area," Gould told KAWC. "I understand the border and I have the experience… the question that people need to ask is who would you hire to represent you in court? You need to hire an AG you would want to represent you in court.”
Gould hopes to replace the current state Attorney General Mark Brnovich, who is running for the U.S. Senate. Gould is one of five Republicans running for AG. The list includes Lacy Cooper, Rodney Glassman, Dawn Grove and Tiffany Shedd. There are three Democrats running for the office- Diego Rodriguez, Kris Mayes and Robert McWhirter.
Speakers at Gould's announcement in Yuma included Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot. Also in attendance but not speaking were Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls and Yuma water attorney Wade Noble.
In a sometimes fiery speech, Gould said he believes there is an open border and that as Attorney General, he would hold officials in Phoenix and Washington accountable. He said plans to use No Tresspassing statutes to secure the border.
Gould committed to placing an Assistant Attorney General in Yuma, Nogales and Sierra Vista to work with local prosecutors and law enforcement.
In February 2020, Gould and the Arizona Supreme Court heard oral arguments at San Luis High School.
