When I served as attorney general of Iowa, I was humbled by the daily realization that my team and I were the last line of defense in protecting the innocent. This realization requires a continuous balance between the urgent need to stop bad actors from harming people, while adhering to constitutional safeguards that protect us all.

I am most proud of having written anti-stalking legislation that became a blueprint for such laws across the nation. This blueprint spread because it balanced the need to counter personal threats to women’s safety with the constitutional rights of suspects. When President Bill Clinton selected me to be the first head of the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, I met many in both parties who deeply respected this need to protect the innocent within constitutional restraints.