Tallian acknowledged that the Republican-controlled House and Senate could ignore her advice.

But they would do so at their own peril, since it would be clear from the get-go that the state’s own attorney believes what they’re passing is unconstitutional, she said.

“As an attorney, I've always been giving the other side of some argument. You learn early that there are two sides to every story,” Tallian said. "Running for attorney general to me is the next step in being an advocate for the other side."

Tallian also dismissed the possibility that, if she’s elected, the Legislature will make the attorney general a governor-appointed post, as it recently did with the state superintendent of public instruction, or eliminate the office altogether, since it only is created in statute, not by the Indiana Constitution.

"To get rid of the attorney general as an elected position would be a really risky move for any party,” Tallian said. "First of all, what goes around comes around, and we're not guaranteed that we'll have a Republican governor until the end of time."

Experienced campaigner