Democrat Steel joins the Attorney General race

Rep. Nate Steel, D-Nashville, became the first Democrat and the latest candidate to announce his candidacy for Arkansas Attorney General.

Steel made the announcement in his hometown of Nashville and at the state capitol in two separate appearances on Wednesday (July 10).

“I’ll interpret the law not based on what I want it to be, but what the law says,” Steel said.

A term-limited representative, Steel has served on the House Judiciary Committee and carried legislation dealing with the Attorney General’s office, including Act 139, which re-defined the method for lethal injections in death penalty cases.

“I am running for attorney general because I believe in our state and our people – in what we can get done if state government works the way it is supposed to work. I’ll work with law enforcement to crack down on criminals. I’ll stand up to those who would prey on our children, our seniors and on Arkansas consumers. I’ve never been one to back down from a fight,” Steel said.

A former prosecutor, Steel has been practicing law in Nashville (Howard County) while serving in the House. He described himself as a “conservative Democrat” and an AG who would “work across party lines.”

“I may be a conservative Democrat, but I’m a pragmatic Democrat,” Steel said. “That’s where I fit in the Democratic Party.”

Steel is a graduate of Nashville High School and earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Arkansas.

Republicans David Sterling and Leslie Rutledge have already announced they will seek the GOP nomination for Attorney General.

Attorney General Dustin McDaniel is term-limited.