Three AGs Who Filed Amicus Briefs Supporting SB 1070 Are Running for Governor

Amicus briefs seem to be a good way for Republican gubernatorial candidates to set themselves apart from the pack. After Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox filed an “friend-of-the-court” brief defending Arizona’s SB 1070 from its Justice Department legal challenge and urging others to join, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett have also thrown their official support behind the Arizona law. (Nine states have filed amicus briefs so far.)

What do the three men have in common? They’re all Republicans running for governor.

Corbett is the only attorney general in the mix who already clinched the Republican nomination in his state. He’s set to face Democrat Dan Onorato in November and has polled well among Pennsylvanians who support SB 1070 — which is popular in the state. Cox is running against four other candidates for the GOP nomination, and is using his tough immigration stance to differentiate himself from the other candidates before the Aug. 3 primary. McCollum will face his primary opponent, Rick Scott, on Aug. 24 after defending himself against claims of flip-flopping on immigration. Expect the amicus brief shows of support to be a talking point.