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The race for governor normally garners the most attention during election season. This year, however, voters have turned their attention to the attorney general race — a backyard brawl between former Del. Steve Shannon (D-Fairfax) and state Sen. Ken Cuccinelli (R-Fairfax).

Cuccinelli, a conservative, says no matter who wins the attorney general race, "80 to 90 percent of what goes on in the Office of the Attorney General won't be changed by the outcome of the election."

Indeed, the candidates agree on many issues, including how to prevent gang violence in the state's urban areas.

Where the candidates differ is in their definition of the role the attorney general plays in Virginia law enforcement.

"One of the things I bring," Cuccinelli said, "is not the notion that there is going to be a shift in staff in the office." He said the office of the attorney general, home to Virginia's highest-ranking law enforcement officer, would look "pretty similar" to that of its last elected holder, Bob McDonnell (R), who is now running for governor.

Cuccinelli said his opponent, Shannon, would seek to "clean house" if elected.

Shannon said he plans to shift resources around in the attorney general's office to make sure Virginia's public safety needs are met.

"Every four-and-a-half minutes in Virginia, a violent crime happens," said Shannon, the younger of the two candidates, who touts the creation of the Amber Alert program among his successes while serving in the House of Delegates.

Shannon said that with more than 20,000 computers in the state being actively used to download child pornography, the four or five agents currently assigned to those cases are too few and overworked. If elected, Shannon said he would work to shift resources to help these law enforcement officials do their job.

He also said public awareness is key to preventing crimes.

"Informing the public of the public safety issues is very important," he said, adding that money currently allocated to the Office of the Attorney General could be spent better, something he would rectify if elected.

"The biggest thing I've got going for me is that I've been in law enforcement — I've been a prosecutor," Shannon said. Cuccinelli has not served as a prosecutor.

"Steve was a prosecutor for the two years he was out of law school," Cuccinelli said, adding that he has juvenile justice and constitutional law experience Shannon does not have.

Cuccinelli said fighting gang-related crimes would be priority one if he was elected.

The use of a "multi-jurisdictional method" to fight gang and drug offenses is needed, he said. "That's a model that has really worked well."

Shannon similarly said, "A lot of these gangs are homegrown. We need a comprehensive plan to deal with that. Local government has been at the forefront of trying to fight gangs. The state needs to be more involved."

Similarly, both candidates said, if elected, they would be advocates for continued funding to pay for school resource officers — police or sheriff's officers assigned to patrol schools.

Budget reductions were a threat this past fiscal year, during which federal stimulus money was used to fill in the holes to law enforcement funding. Fairfax was one of many counties that looked at spending reductions, including the elimination of school resource officers in some public schools.

"When I think of the school resource officers, I think of someone who is on the ground," Cuccinelli said. "They play an important role ... that's something I would want to keep."

Shannon agreed, saying, "The SROs are really good at knowing what children are at risk."

The candidates have matched up for a handful of debates, the most recent earlier this month. Their final faceoff will be at the polls Nov. 3.

ELECTION 2009

Ken Cuccinelli

Republican

Age: 41

Residence: Centreville

Family: Married, five daughters and two sons

Occupation: Business attorney and partner in the law firm of Cuccinelli & Day PLLC in Fairfax

Public service: State senator since 2002; serves on Senate Courts of Justice Committee, Transportation Committee, Local Government Committee and the Rehabilitation and Social Service Committee.

Web site: www.cuccinelli.com

Steve shannon

Democrat

Age: 38

Residence: Dunn Loring

Family: Married, three children

Occupation: Special counsel to the law firm of Odin, Feldman & Pittleman P.C.

Public service: Virginia House of Delegates, 2004-2009; Committee on Appropriations; Committee on Education; Committee on Agriculture, the Chesapeake and Natural Resources; Fairfax County prosecutor; served on Gov. Tim Kaine's (D) Commission on Sexual Violence.

Web site: www.shannon2009.com