Wisconsin attorney general announces re-election bid

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has officially announced he will run for a second term.

Van Hollen, a Republican, kicked off a statewide tour to announce his candidacy in Milwaukee on Monday. He says he has the endorsement of 61 sheriffs and 50 district attorneys.

He faces Democrat Scott Hassett in the Nov. 2 general election.

Hassett issued a statement calling Van Hollen a partisan who has failed to protect public safety. He also claimed he has more courtroom experience than Van Hollen, saying he spent 22 years litigating civil and criminal cases.

Van Hollen campaign manager Chirag Shah says Hassett was never a prosecutor. Shah says Van Hollen spent 13 years as a public defender, an assistant U.S. attorney and a district attorney.

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