LITTLE ROCK — The Republican candidate for attorney general said Friday she would use the office to fight against an overreaching federal government, while the Democratic and Libertarian candidates said the attorney general should focus on Arkansas, not Washington.

LITTLE ROCK — The Republican candidate for attorney general said Friday she would use the office to fight against an overreaching federal government, while the Democratic and Libertarian candidates said the attorney general should focus on Arkansas, not Washington.

The candidates, all lawyers, met for a debate held at the annual convention of the Arkansas Press Association in Hot Springs and streamed live online.

Republican candidate Leslie Rutledge said she would use her experience as counsel to former Gov. Mike Huckabee and the Republican National Committee "to combat this overreaching federal government, so that way our farmers and our businesses across the state can get the federal government’s foot off their throat so we can have more jobs in Arkansas, more opportunities for Arkansans."

Asked to cite examples, Rutledge said she would fight back against the federal Affordable Care Act and efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency to garnish wages without a court order.

State Rep. Nate Steel, D-Nashville, said he is "as frustrated with a lot of the actions of the federal government as anybody" but said his focus would be on Arkansas.

"I don’t think that the solution to an overreaching federal government is an overreaching attorney general," he said. "We send six members of Congress to D.C. every year to worry about federal politics. I don’t think we need to turn the attorney general’s office into a seventh."

Steel said the attorney general has plenty of problems in the state to handle, including the crime rate, scams against seniors and child predators.

Libertarian candidate Aaron Scott Cash said he agreed with Steel.

"The federal government may be overreaching, but there are other, more important issues that we could focus on here at home, and I don’t think we should be wasting resources in federal court," Cash said.

Steel said that if elected he will propose a package of legislation including measures to address prison overcrowding.

"I think we need to start from a law enforcement perspective to have a comprehensive criminal justice reform act that expands drug courts, focuses on alternative sentencing and creates more truth in sentencing for violent crimes and sexual predators," he said.

Rutledge said she has not ruled out proposing legislation but has no legislative agenda planned.

"I believe the role of the attorney general is to help the legislators, so that way they write good, clean laws. Too often we see ambiguities in the laws," she said.

Cash said he would look at deferred prosecutions for non-violent immigrants, to avoid tearing apart families with prosecutions that result in deportation.

The candidates were asked if they believe Act 746 of 2013 allows open carry of firearms, as some have claimed despite an advisory opinion by Attorney General Dustin McDaniel stating it does not.

Cash said he believes the law does allow open carry of firearms; Steel said he believes it does not. Rutledge said the law is ambiguous and needs clarification.

Asked about legalization marijuana for medicinal or recreational use, Steel said, "I don’t think legalizing marijuana would create any benefit."

Rutledge said she opposes legalizing marijuana for any purpose, calling it "a gateway drug."

Cash said he supports legalizing marijuana.

"Enforcing marijuana laws is a waste of our taxpayer dollars. We should be focused on violent criminals," he said.