The attorney general is an executive office in all 50 states that serves as the chief legal advisor and chief law enforcement officer for the state government and is empowered to prosecute violations of state law, represent the state in legal disputes and issue legal advice to state agencies and the legislature. In most states, the attorney general has a substantial influence on a state's approach to law enforcement. Attorneys general often set particular law enforcement priorities (e.g. drug law, civil rights violations or sexual crime) and focus extra resources on these issues. This puts them, in the words of the National Association of Attorneys General, at the "intersection of law and public policy."[1][2]
Political parties
The chart below is a breakdown of the political parties pertaining to the state executive office of attorney general.[3] For other state executive offices, click here.
| Attorney General | 22 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
| Counts current as of December 2022. If you see an error, please email us. |
Current officeholders
List of Current Attorneys General
Note: If an office becomes vacant, it will appear in a separate table below the list of current officeholders.
List of All Current State Attorneys General in the United States:
| Attorney General of Alabama | Steve Marshall | Republican | February 10, 2017 |
| Attorney General of Alaska | Treg Taylor | Republican | May 11, 2021 |
| Attorney General of Arizona | Mark Brnovich | Republican | January 5, 2015 |
| Attorney General of Arkansas | Leslie Rutledge | Republican | January 13, 2015 |
| Attorney General of California | Rob Bonta | Democratic | April 23, 2021 |
| Attorney General of Colorado | Phil Weiser | Democratic | January 8, 2019 |
| Attorney General of Connecticut | William Tong | Democratic | January 9, 2019 |
| Attorney General of Delaware | Kathy Jennings | Democratic | January 1, 2019 |
| Attorney General of Florida | Ashley B. Moody | Republican | January 8, 2019 |
| Attorney General of Georgia | Chris Carr | Republican | November 1, 2016 |
| Attorney General of Guam | Leevin Taitano Camacho | Independent | January 7, 2019 |
| Attorney General of Hawaii | Anne Lopez | Democratic | December 5, 2022 |
| Attorney General of Idaho | Lawrence Wasden | Republican | January 3, 2003 |
| Attorney General of Illinois | Kwame Raoul | Democratic | January 15, 2019 |
| Attorney General of Indiana | Todd Rokita | Republican | January 11, 2021 |
| Attorney General of Iowa | Thomas John Miller | Democratic | 1995 |
| Attorney General of Kansas | Derek Schmidt | Republican | January 10, 2011 |
| Attorney General of Kentucky | Daniel Cameron | Republican | December 17, 2019 |
| Attorney General of Louisiana | Jeff Landry | Republican | January 11, 2016 |
| Attorney General of Maine | Aaron Frey | Democratic | January 8, 2019 |
| Attorney General of Maryland | Brian Frosh | Democratic | 2015 |
| Attorney General of Massachusetts | Maura Healey | Democratic | January 21, 2015 |
| Attorney General of Michigan | Dana Nessel | Democratic | January 1, 2019 |
| Attorney General of Minnesota | Keith Ellison | Democratic | January 7, 2019 |
| Attorney General of Mississippi | Lynn Fitch | Republican | January 9, 2020 |
| Attorney General of Missouri | Eric Schmitt | Republican | 2019 |
| Attorney General of Montana | Austin Knudsen | Republican | January 4, 2021 |
| Attorney General of Nebraska | Doug Peterson | Republican | January 8, 2015 |
| Attorney General of Nevada | Aaron D. Ford | Democratic | January 7, 2019 |
| Attorney General of New Hampshire | John Formella | Republican | April 22, 2021 |
| Attorney General of New Jersey | Matt Platkin | Democratic | September 29, 2022 |
| Attorney General of New Mexico | Hector Balderas | Democratic | 2015 |
| Attorney General of New York | Letitia James | Democratic | January 1, 2019 |
| Attorney General of North Carolina | Josh Stein | Democratic | January 1, 2017 |
| Attorney General of North Dakota | Drew Wrigley | Republican | February 9, 2022 |
| Attorney General of Ohio | Dave Yost | Republican | January 14, 2019 |
| Attorney General of Oklahoma | John O'Connor | Republican | July 23, 2021 |
| Attorney General of Oregon | Ellen Rosenblum | Democratic | June 29, 2012 |
| Attorney General of Pennsylvania | Josh Shapiro | Democratic | January 17, 2017 |
| Attorney General of Rhode Island | Peter Neronha | Democratic | January 1, 2019 |
| Attorney General of South Carolina | Alan Wilson | Republican | January 12, 2011 |
| Attorney General of South Dakota | Mark Vargo | Republican | June 28, 2022 |
| Attorney General of Tennessee | Jonathan Skrmetti | Republican | September 1, 2022 |
| Attorney General of Texas | Ken Paxton | Republican | 2015 |
| Attorney General of Utah | Sean D. Reyes | Republican | December 30, 2013 |
| Attorney General of Vermont | Susanne Young | Republican | July 5, 2022 |
| Attorney General of Virginia | Jason Miyares | Republican | January 15, 2022 |
| Attorney General of Washington | Bob Ferguson | Democratic | January 16, 2013 |
| Attorney General of West Virginia | Patrick Morrisey | Republican | January 14, 2013 |
| Attorney General of Wisconsin | Josh Kaul | Democratic | January 7, 2019 |
| Attorney General of Wyoming | Bridget Hill | Republican | March 15, 2019 |
| Attorney General of the Northern Mariana Islands | Edward Manibusan | Nonpartisan | January 12, 2015 |
There are no vacancies at this time.
Comparison across states
Although Ballotpedia covers Washington, D.C., and the five U.S. territories and their officeholders, D.C. and territory officeholders are not included in the following figures.
Selection process
The attorney general is directly elected in 43 states. The attorney general is appointed by the state Legislature in Maine, by the state Supreme Court in Tennessee, and by the governor in the remaining five states.
Compensation
According to compensation figures for 2017 compiled by the Council of State Governments in the Book of the States, the highest salary for an attorney general is $182,688 in Tennessee, while the lowest is $80,000 in Colorado. To view the compensation of a particular attorney general, hover your mouse over the state.[4]
Initiate local prosecution
In 47 states—all except Connecticut, North Carolina, and Arkansas—the attorney general has the power to initiate prosecution at the local level, although 28 states place limits on this power.[5]
Supersede local prosecution
In 36 states, the attorney general has the power to take over a case handled by a local prosecutor without instructions from the governor or legislature, although this power is restricted to certain cases in 22 of those states. This differs from general power of oversight over legal matters in a state and the ability of some attorneys general to initiate local prosecution or to step in and provide assistance to a local prosecutor without instructions from the governor or legislature. In Alaska and Delaware, the attorney general's office is responsible for handling all local prosecution by default.[5]
Criminal appeals
The attorney general has the power to represent the state in criminal appeals in 46 states, although this power is restricted in five of those states.[5]
Term limits
A total of 17 states impose some form of term limits on attorneys general.
Historical elections
In 1977, the Democratic Party held a total of 27 elected attorney general offices to the Republican Party's 16. The Democratic lead in attorney general offices would be maintained through the 1990s, as opposed to the other three top executive offices, which became majority-Republican following the 1994 midterm elections. In the 2010 midterm elections, the Republican Party gained a lead in elected attorney general offices, with 22 elected attorneys general to the Democrats' 21. The Democratic victory in the 2013 Virginia election for attorney general caused the party to briefly regain a 22-21 majority of elected attorney general offices. This lead was lost in the 2014 midterm elections. After that point, the Republican Party continued to grow its majority control of elected attorney general offices.
Election history
2022
See also: Attorney General elections, 2022Thirty states held elections for attorney general in 2022:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
2021
See also: Attorney General elections, 2021One state held elections for attorney general in 2021:
- Virginia
2020
See also: Attorney General elections, 2020Ten states held elections for attorney general in 2020:
- Indiana
- Missouri
- Montana
- North Carolina
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Utah
- Vermont
- Washington
- West Virginia
2019
See also: Attorney General elections, 2019Three states held elections for attorney general in 2019:
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
2018
See also: Attorney General elections, 2018Thirty states held elections for attorney general in 2018:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
2017
One state held an election for attorney general in 2017:
- Virginia
2016
See also: Attorney General elections, 2016Ten states held elections for attorney general in 2016:
- Indiana
- Missouri
- Montana
- North Carolina
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Utah
- Vermont
- Washington
- West Virginia
2015
See also: Attorney General elections, 2015Three states held elections for attorney general in 2015: Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi. In Kentucky, Andy Beshear (D) won election to the attorney general seat. Democrat Jim Hood was re-elected in Mississippi, while Republican Jeff Landry defeated incumbent Buddy Caldwell, also a Republican, in a runoff in Louisiana.
2014
Main article: Attorney General elections, 2014Thirty states held regularly scheduled attorney general elections in the 2014 electoral cycle:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
Utah also held a special election to fill the remaining two years of John Swallow's term.
2013
Main article: State executive official elections, 2013One state, Virginia, held a regularly scheduled attorney general election in 2013. State Senators Mark Herring (D) and Mark Obenshain (R) faced off in the general election on November 5, 2013, and the race was considered too close to call until the State Board of Elections certified the results of the race on November 25, 2013, naming Herring the victor by a margin of 165 votes.[6][7] Since the margin was equal to or less than 0.5 percent of the total vote, Obenshain, as the losing candidate, was entitled to request a publicly financed recount, which he did on November 27.[8][9] The recount began on December 26, and Obenshain conceded to Herring two days later, giving a Democrat control of the office for the first time in almost two decades.[10][11]
2012
Ten states held attorney general elections in the 2012 electoral cycle: Indiana, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.
Heading into the November election, the Democrats held six of the seats and the Republicans held four seats. Five incumbents sought, and won, re-election, and the status breakdown of the remaining seats was as follows:
- Two - Montana AG Steve Bullock (D) and Washington AG Rob McKenna (R) - ran for the governorship in their respective states in 2012.
- One - Utah AG Mark Shurtleff (R) - retired from office.
- One - 2011 appointee Pennsylvania AG Linda Kelly (R) - did not run for election due to the terms of her Senate confirmation.
- One - Oregon AG John Kroger (D) - resigned six months ahead of schedule to take a new job as President of Reed College in Portland. Gov. John Kitzhaber appointed Ellen Rosenblum, who was running for 2012 election to the attorney general post at the time, to serve as interim attorney general for the remainder of his unexpired term. Rosenblum was elected to a full term in the general election on November 6, 2012.
Democrats won six of the 2012 races while Republicans took four, thus the partisan balance remained unchanged.
2011
Main article: Attorney General elections, 2011| State Attorney General 2011 elections |
| Kentucky • Louisiana • Mississippi Candidates for State Attorney General, 2011 Polls, 2011 State Attorney General elections |
| Primary election dates Statewide elections, 2011 National Association of Attorneys General |
Three states, Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi, had regularly scheduled attorney general elections in the 2011 electoral cycle.
Incumbents were re-elected in all three states. Democratic incumbents Jack Conway (KY) and Jim Hood (MS) successfully defended their posts against Republican challengers Todd P’Pool and Steve Simpson, respectively. The Attorney General of Louisiana election was decided even before the October 22, 2011 primary election. Incumbent Republican Buddy Caldwell was unopposed in the race after his sole challenger, former U.S. Representative Joseph Cao, withdrew from the race in late September 2011, and the office of attorney general did not appear on the ballot.[12]
2010
Main article: Attorney General elections, 2010Thirty attorney general elections were held on November 2, 2010. Of the 30 seats that were up for election, 20 were held by a Democrat and 10 by a Republican. Of those 30 races, 16 were won by Republicans and 14 by Democrats- a net gain of six by Republicans over their pre-election total.
| Democratic | 20 | 12 | 32 | 14 | 12 | 26 | -6 |
| Republican | 10 | 8 | 18 | 16 | 8 | 24 | +6 |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Attorney General State. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- National Association of Attorneys General
- Democratic Attorneys General Association
- Republican Attorneys General Association
- State executive offices
- State executive official elections, 2012
- State executive official elections, 2013
- Attorney General elections, 2014
- Attorney General elections, 2015
- Attorney General elections, 2016
- Attorney General elections, 2017
- Attorney General elections, 2018
- Attorney General elections, 2019
- Attorney General elections, 2020
- Attorney General elections, 2021
- Attorney General elections, 2022
External links
- Website of the National Association of Attorneys General
Footnotes
- ↑ The National Association of Attorneys General, "Home," accessed March 26, 2013
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of States 2012," accessed October 17, 2012
- ↑ Although Ballotpedia covers Washington, D.C., and the five U.S. territories and their officeholders, D.C. and territory officeholders are not included in the following figures.
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2017 - Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed October 22, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2017 - Attorneys General: Prosecutorial and Advisory Duties," accessed December 3, 2017
- ↑ Virginia State Board of Elections, " Election Results – General Election – November 5, 2013," accessed November 13, 2013 at 7:40 a.m. CT
- ↑ Washington Post, "Herring wins Virginia attorney general race, elections board announces," November 25, 2013
- ↑ USA Today, "Virginia attorney general race heads to recount," November 27, 2013
- ↑ Politico, "Mark Obenshain to request recount in Virginia attorney general race," November 26, 2013
- ↑ Politico, "Mark Obenshain to request recount in Virginia attorney general race," November 26, 2013
- ↑ Washington Post, Obenshain concedes Virginia attorney general’s race to Herring, December 18, 2013
- ↑ The Green Papers, "2010 Gubernatorial Primaries at a Glance"
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