HELENA, Mont. — Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced he led a 23-state coalition urging the U.S. Senate to confirm Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as the next U.S. attorney general.

Knudsen sent the letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, Ranking Member Richard Durbin and other committee members. He said Blanche focuses on public safety, fraud involving taxpayer dollars and work with state attorneys general.

The letter also said the U.S. Department of Justice won 80% of its cases before the U.S. Supreme Court during Blanche’s leadership and that the nation saw its lowest murder rate since 1900 while federal law enforcement increased efforts to catch violent criminals, gangs, cartels, terrorists and transnational criminal organizations.

Knudsen pointed to what he called Blanche’s record at a time when public safety remains a top concern.

“At a time when Americans expect their government to protect communities from violent crime, narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, terrorism and organized criminal activity, Todd Blanche has shown an ability to deliver real results,” Knudsen said. “His record reflects a commitment to public safety, vigorous enforcement of federal law and effective stewardship of the Department of Justice.”

Attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia signed the letter with Knudsen.

The letter can be viewed here.