Raul Labrador

Raúl Labrador
Born	Raúl Rafael Labrador 8 12, 1967
Birthplace	Carolina, Puerto Rico
Nationality	American
Occupation	Template:Flatlist
Title	34th Attorney General of Idaho
Known for	U.S. Representative for Idaho's 1st congressional district (2011–2019); Attorney General of Idaho (2023–present)
Education	University of Washington (B.A.) University of Washington School of Law (J.D.)

Raúl Rafael Labrador (born December 8, 1967) is an American attorney and politician serving as the 34th Attorney General of Idaho since January 2023. Born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, Labrador moved to the mainland United States as a young man and eventually settled in Idaho, where he built a career in immigration law before entering politics. He served in the Idaho House of Representatives from 2006 to 2010 and then represented Idaho's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Labrador was a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus during his time in Congress and gained a reputation as a conservative voice on fiscal and immigration policy. After an unsuccessful bid for governor of Idaho in 2018, Labrador won election as attorney general in 2022. His tenure as attorney general has been marked by high-profile legal battles, including disputes with the Idaho Land Board, legal opinions on education policy, and the defense of Idaho's laws regarding transgender athlete participation in sports before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Early Life

Raúl Rafael Labrador was born on December 8, 1967, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. He was raised primarily by his mother in a Spanish-speaking household. Labrador has spoken publicly about growing up in modest circumstances in Puerto Rico before his family relocated to the mainland United States. He moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, as a teenager, where he learned English and completed his secondary education. Labrador later converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a young man, a faith that would play an important role in his personal life and eventual settlement in Idaho.

After completing his education, Labrador established himself in Eagle, Idaho, a suburb of Boise, where he practiced immigration law for more than a decade. His legal practice focused on representing clients navigating the immigration system, giving him a perspective on immigration policy that he would later bring to his political career. Despite his professional focus on immigration law, Labrador adopted conservative positions on immigration reform during his political career, advocating for stricter enforcement of existing laws and opposing pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

Education

Labrador attended the University of Washington in Seattle, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He continued his education at the University of Washington School of Law, where he obtained his Juris Doctor degree. After completing law school, Labrador was admitted to the Idaho State Bar and began practicing immigration law in the Boise metropolitan area.

Career

Idaho State Legislature

Labrador entered electoral politics in 2006 when he won a seat in the Idaho House of Representatives, representing District 14 (Seat B) in the Eagle and Star area of Ada County. He served two terms in the state legislature from 2006 to 2010, where he developed a reputation as a fiscally conservative legislator. During his time in the Idaho House, Labrador focused on issues related to taxation, government spending, and immigration policy at the state level.

U.S. House of Representatives (2011–2019)

In 2010, Labrador challenged incumbent Republican congressman Walt Minnick — a conservative Democrat — for Idaho's 1st congressional district seat. Labrador first won a competitive Republican primary before defeating Minnick in the general election as part of the broader Tea Party movement wave that swept Republicans into power across the country. He took office in January 2011.

During his four terms in Congress, Labrador established himself as one of the most conservative members of the House Republican caucus. He was a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, a group of hard-line conservative Republicans who frequently challenged the party's leadership on issues of government spending, the national debt, and the scope of federal authority. The Freedom Caucus became a significant force in House politics, notably playing a role in the resignation of Speaker John Boehner in 2015.

Labrador briefly sought the position of House Majority Leader in 2014 after Eric Cantor's unexpected primary defeat, though he ultimately withdrew from the race. He was also considered a candidate for Speaker of the House during the leadership turmoil of 2015.

On immigration, despite his background as an immigration attorney, Labrador took a firm stance against comprehensive immigration reform proposals that included pathways to legal status for undocumented immigrants. He was involved in bipartisan negotiations on immigration reform but ultimately opposed the comprehensive bills that emerged from those discussions, arguing that border security and enforcement should take priority.

Labrador did not seek re-election to his congressional seat in 2018, instead choosing to run for governor of Idaho.

2018 Gubernatorial Campaign

In 2018, Labrador entered the Republican primary for governor of Idaho. He ran on a platform emphasizing limited government, tax reform, and conservative social values. However, he faced stiff competition from Lieutenant Governor Brad Little, who had the backing of outgoing Governor Butch Otter and much of the state's Republican establishment. Labrador finished second in the primary, losing to Little, who went on to win the general election.

Attorney General of Idaho (2023–present)

After his loss in the gubernatorial race, Labrador returned to private law practice before announcing his candidacy for Attorney General of Idaho in 2022. He won both the Republican primary and the general election, taking office as the 34th Attorney General of Idaho in January 2023. As attorney general, Labrador has overseen the state's legal affairs and has been involved in numerous high-profile legal and policy disputes.

Idaho Land Board Disputes

One of the most prominent ongoing controversies of Labrador's tenure as attorney general has been his conflict with the Idaho Land Board. In June 2025, the Idaho Land Board voted to adopt a new policy allowing it to hire outside legal counsel rather than relying on the Attorney General's Office for legal representation. Labrador cast the lone vote against the policy, arguing that it was "contrary to the law and the constitution."

The dispute escalated further when Labrador took legal action to challenge the Land Board's policy. In September 2025, the Attorney General's Office brought the matter before a court, arguing that the Land Board lacked the authority to bypass the attorney general's constitutionally mandated role as the state's legal representative. The case raised significant questions about the separation of powers and the scope of the attorney general's authority in Idaho's governmental structure.

Education Policy Opinions

Labrador's office has issued legal opinions on education-related matters that have generated public debate. In June 2025, the Attorney General's Office responded to a query from the Idaho Department of Education regarding whether "Everyone is welcome" signs displayed in Idaho schools violated a new state law. The Attorney General's Office determined that such signs could be in violation of the law, a conclusion that drew both support and criticism from various stakeholders in Idaho's education community.

The opinion drew a pointed public rebuke from a former Idaho Attorney General. In a July 2025 op-ed published by Idaho Education News, the former attorney general characterized Labrador's legal opinion as "a political statement masquerading as a legal opinion" and stated that the opinion warranted public criticism.

Transgender Athlete Legislation

In 2025, Labrador emerged as a prominent national figure in the legal debate over transgender athlete participation in women's sports. The Attorney General's Office led the defense of Idaho's laws prohibiting biological males from competing in female athletic competitions when the case reached the Supreme Court of the United States. In a July 2025 interview with Fox News, Labrador stated his aim to establish a national precedent through the case, arguing that the integrity of women's sports required clear biological sex-based eligibility standards.

Personnel and Whistleblower Disputes

Labrador's administration of the Attorney General's Office has also been the subject of legal proceedings related to personnel decisions. A former deputy attorney general, who had represented Idaho's health department, alleged that she was wrongfully terminated shortly after Labrador took office, filing a whistleblower lawsuit against the office. In July 2025, the Attorney General's Office asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit. In September 2025, a judge ruled that the former deputy attorney general had not provided sufficient proof to support her claims, dealing a blow to the whistleblower case.

Federal Policy Challenges

In December 2025, Labrador publicly challenged a position taken by President Donald Trump regarding marijuana policy. After Trump issued an executive order related to the reclassification or reevaluation of marijuana's risk status, Labrador raised "concerns" about the federal government's stance, signaling a willingness to push back against the administration on drug policy despite his general alignment with conservative and Republican positions. The episode highlighted Labrador's independent streak on certain policy matters and his prioritization of Idaho's strict drug enforcement laws, which include some of the most restrictive marijuana policies in the United States.

Personal Life

Labrador resides in Eagle, Idaho, with his family. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Labrador is fluent in both English and Spanish, having grown up in a Spanish-speaking household in Puerto Rico. He is one of the few Puerto Rican-born Republicans to have served in the United States Congress, and the first Hispanic to serve as Attorney General of Idaho.

Recognition

During his time in Congress, Labrador received high ratings from conservative organizations, including the Heritage Foundation, the Club for Growth, and FreedomWorks, for his voting record on fiscal and limited-government issues. His founding role in the House Freedom Caucus placed him among a cohort of Republican lawmakers who reshaped the dynamics of House Republican leadership and legislative strategy during the 2010s.

As Attorney General of Idaho, Labrador has gained national attention for his role in defending Idaho's transgender athlete ban before the U.S. Supreme Court, a case that has positioned him as a key figure in the broader national debate over gender identity and athletics policy.

Legacy

As of 2025, Labrador's legacy continues to take shape through his ongoing service as Attorney General of Idaho. His career trajectory — from Puerto Rican-born immigration attorney to conservative congressman to state attorney general — represents an unusual political path within the Republican Party. His co-founding of the House Freedom Caucus had a lasting impact on the internal dynamics of the Republican conference in Congress, contributing to a shift in how conservative factions organized and exerted influence within the party.

As attorney general, Labrador has pursued an assertive interpretation of the office's constitutional authority, as demonstrated by his legal challenge to the Idaho Land Board's decision to hire outside counsel. His tenure has been characterized by frequent engagement in politically charged legal questions, from education policy to transgender rights to drug enforcement, making his office a focal point of policy debates in Idaho and, in some cases, at the national level.

His willingness to challenge both political opponents and, at times, allies — as in his public disagreement with the Trump administration on marijuana policy — has defined a tenure marked by independence and legal activism from the attorney general's office.