how does the california state attorney general get elected

How are attorneys general elected in the US?

Furthermore, how does the state attorney general get elected? Attorneys general are the top legal officers of their state or territory. They advise and represent their legislature and state agencies and act as the “People's Lawyer” for the citizens. Most are elected, though a few are appointed by the governor. Select your state to connect to your state attorney general's website.

How long is the term for Attorney General in California?

Under the state Constitution, the Attorney General is elected to a four-year term in the same statewide election as the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Controller, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Insurance Commissioner. In 1990, California voters imposed a two-term limit on these statewide offices.

What does the California Attorney General do?

Attorneys general are the top legal officers of their state or territory. They advise and represent their legislature and state agencies and act as the “People’s Lawyer” for the citizens. Most are elected, though a few are appointed by the governor. Select your state to connect to your state attorney general's website.

What are the salaries of all elected officials in California?

Dec 06, 2021 · Past salaries of elected officials, 2020-2021. Governor $209,747 Lieutenant Governor $157,310 Attorney General $182,189 Controller $167,796

How is the Attorney General appointed?

They are appointed by the President of India on the advice of the Union Cabinet under Article 76(1) of the Constitution and hold office during the pleasure of the President.

Are state AGS elected?

Attorneys general are the top legal officers of their state or territory. They advise and represent their legislature and state agencies and act as the “People's Lawyer” for the citizens. Most are elected, though a few are appointed by the governor. Select your state to connect to your state attorney general's website.

How many California Attorney Generals are there?

33 California attorneys generalThere have been 33 California attorneys general since 1849. Of the 32 officeholders, 19 were Democrat, 13 were Republican and one was American Independent.

How do you serve the attorney general in California?

In most cases, service may be made at any one of the Attorney General's offices listed below....For service on the Attorney General:Office of the Attorney General.1300 "I" Street.Sacramento, CA 95814-2919.Phone: (916) 445-9555.

Are district attorneys elected?

In most U.S. state and local jurisdictions, prosecutors are elected to office. On the federal level, district attorneys are, in effect, members of the executive branch of the government; they are usually replaced when a new administration comes into office.

How much does the Attorney General of California make?

Attorney General of CaliforniaInaugural holderEdward J. C. Kewen 1849FormationCalifornia ConstitutionSalary$151,127Websiteoag.ca.gov5 more rows

Is the Attorney General in California elected or appointed?

Under the state Constitution, the Attorney General is elected to a four-year term in the same statewide election as the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Controller, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Insurance Commissioner.

Who is the next California attorney general?

Click for high-resolution photo. On April 23, 2021, Rob Bonta was sworn in as the 34th Attorney General of the State of California, the first person of Filipino descent and the second Asian-American to occupy the position.

Who was the last California attorney general?

California Former Attorneys GeneralMatthew Rodriguez2021 – 2021Xavier Becerra2017 – 2021Kamala D. Harris2010 – 2017Edmund G. Brown, Jr.2007 – 2011Bill Lockyer1999 – 200729 more rows

Why would DOJ come to your house?

Gathering Evidence. The DOJ and its subsidiaries will be responsible for gathering evidence to prosecute a crime. Sometimes, this might involve searching the property. This will require a warrant issued by a judge.

How do I contact California state attorney general?

For state matters, please call the California Attorney General's Office at (415) 703-5500.Jul 21, 2021

How do you address Xavier Becerra?

National Policy AdvocacyCall, email, or write to President Biden.Email Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health & Human Services: [email protected] Marcella Nunez-Smith, Chair of White House COVID-19 Equity Task Force: [email protected] items...

How to become an attorney general?

Additionally, each candidate for attorney general must: 1 Be a registered voter 2 Be registered with their party for at least three months#N#Not have been registered with a different political party in the last 12 months 3 Not have been previously term-limited out

What does the Attorney General do?

Further, the attorney general plays a direct role in law enforcement efforts and "coordinates statewide narcotics enforcement efforts, participates in criminal investigations and provides forensic science services, identification and information services and telecommunication support.".

How many terms can a Lieutenant Governor serve?

No Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Controller, Secretary of State, or Treasurer may serve in the same office for more than 2 terms.

When is the attorney general election?

Elections. Attorneys general are elected on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in federal midterm election years, e.g. 2018, 2022, 2026 and 2030. Like all constitutional state officers, the attorney general assumes office on the first Monday in the new year following the election.

Who won the 2018 California primary?

Nonpartisan primary election. Incumbent Xavier Becerra and Steven Bailey defeated Dave Jones and Eric Early in the primary for Attorney General of California on June 5, 2018.

What happens when a governor vacancy occurs?

When a vacancy occurs, the governor nominates a replacement to serve the remainder of the term under the next election. The appointee must be confirmed by a majority of both house of the California legislature. Until the replacement is approved, the former officeholder's chief deputy exercises the office.

What is the job of the Attorney General of California?

Duties. The attorney general acts as the state's chief law officer and oversees the California Department of Justice. He or she supervises the state's district and city attorneys, as well as its law enforcement officers.

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

Past elections

Incumbent Xavier Becerra defeated Steven Bailey in the general election for Attorney General of California on November 6, 2018.

What is the office of the Attorney General?

The Attorney General is the state's top lawyer and law enforcement official, protecting and serving the people and interests of California through a broad range of duties. The Attorney General's responsibilities include safeguarding Californians from harm and promoting community safety, ...

How long is the term of the Attorney General?

Under the state Constitution, the Attorney General is elected to a four-year term in the same statewide election as the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Controller, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Insurance Commissioner.

What is the California Public Records Act?

California law outlines the public's right to government records, procedures for requesting access and the government agency's rights to withhold certain types of records. Disputes over public access to records may be taken to court under the California Public Records Act. The Attorney General issues a regular publication summarizing ...

How to contact a county agency?

To contact a county agency, refer to County Government listings in your telephone book or check the county's website. If you have information that may indicate improper governmental activities in a city county agency or by a city county employee or public official, we suggest that you submit your complaint to the district attorney or grand jury in the county where the action has occurred. The state Attorney General is authorized to undertake the role of a prosecuting officer only in specific cases when the county district attorney is disqualified from the case or when they clearly, without justification, fail to act.

What is discretionary authority in California?

California law gives discretionary authority to a locally elected prosecutor in filing criminal actions. In deciding whether to file charges, a district attorney must evaluate the likelihood that a jury, after weighing all the conflicting evidence, would find the defendant guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt.".

Where to address a complaint about the California Highway Patrol?

If you have a complaint involving the California Highway Patrol, you should address the matter to the local CHP office. The California Highway Patrol provides instructions for filing complaints about CHP officers and employees.

What does a state attorney general do?

State attorneys general enforce both state and federal laws. Because they are sworn to uphold the United States' constitution and laws as well as the state's, they often decline to defend the state in federal lawsuits.

How long is the attorney general's term in Tennessee?

The attorney general in Tennessee is appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court for an eight-year term. In Maine, the attorney general is elected by the state Legislature for a two-year term.

What is the difference between a county and a city?

There is a fundamental distinction between a county and a city. Counties lack broad powers of self-government that California cities have (e.g., cities have broad revenue generating authority and counties do not). In addition, legislative control over counties is more complete than it is over cities. Unless restricted by a specific provision of the state Constitution, the Legislature may delegate to the counties any of the functions which belong to the state itself. Conversely, the state may take back to itself and resume the functions which it has delegated to counties (e.g., state funding of trial courts).

How many members are on the Board of Supervisors?

Government Code Section 25000 requires each county to have a Board of Supervisors consisting of five members. The section applies to general law counties and to charter counties, except where the charter provides otherwise (e.g., San Francisco City and County has eleven members and one mayor).

What are the two types of counties in California?

The California Constitution recognizes two types of counties: general law counties and charter counties. General law counties adhere to state law as to the number and duties of county elected officials. Charter counties, on the other hand, have a limited degree of “home rule” authority that may provide for the election, compensation, terms, ...

What powers does a county have?

A county also has the power to sue and be sued, purchase and hold land, manage or dispose of its properties, and levy and collect taxes authorized by law. Many additional powers have been granted to counties by the Legislature. The powers of a county can only be exercised by the Board of Supervisors or through officers acting under ...

What is joint powers agreement?

A joint powers agreement (JPA) is created where two or more local governments enter into a cooperative agreement to provide any service which either of them could provide on their own. A joint powers agreement involves mutually agreeing to specific conditions and terms which may limit each agency’s ability to act independently, but it does not alter the basic structure of each agency’s decision-making processes. These JPA’s are fairly common; a sheriff’s department may provide police services to a city, or a county and a city may form a JPA to jointly run an emergency dispatching center. A joint powers agency takes the concept of agreement and cooperation to a new level. Under California Government Code Section 6500, counties, cities, special districts, and other public agencies are allowed to enter into agreements which create new and distinct authorities. The new authorities have a separate operating board of directors which has the powers inherent in all of the participating agencies. The powers of the authority can be general or specific, the term of the authority must be established, and other administrative decisions must be made (e.g., how the board meets and conducts its business). For example, two parties may agree to create a joint transit authority, where both parties contribute the necessary resources and the capital assets. Personnel may become employees of the new authority, and with a new operating board, policies may be independently set to create transportation services for both jurisdictions.

What is an ordinance in California?

An ordinance is a local law adopted with all the legal formality of a statute. The California Constitution allows a county or city to make and enforce within its limits all local, police, sanitary, and other ordinances and regulations that do not conflict with the state’s own general laws.

What is the role of the Board of Supervisors?

In its quasi-judicial role, the Board of Supervisors may settle claims made against the county and may examine and audit the accounts of all county officers as they relate to the management and disbursement of funds. The latter authority may be exercised with a subpoena to the county officer to bring all requested files to the Board. The Board may delegate the subpoena power to a committee of its own members, but pursuant to state law, the Board may not otherwise delegate that power.

Current Officeholder

• The current officeholder is Rob Bonta, a Democrat. He was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to replace Xavier Becerra (D), who left office when he was confirmed as U.S. secretary of health and human services.

See more on ballotpedia.org

Authority

Qualifications

Elections

Vacancies

Duties

Divisions

Historical Officeholders

Recent News

Contact Information

Government Agencies / Officials

• Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidatesas people who: 1. Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline 2. Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies States are in the process of redistricting Congressional and state legislative boundaries following the 202…

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Courts

Law Enforcement

Other Government Topics

• City
  To contact a city agency, refer to City Government listings in your telephone book or check the city's website. If you have information that may indicate improper governmental activities in a city agency or by a city employee or public official, we suggest that you submit your complaint to th…
• County
  To contact a county agency, refer to County Government listings in your telephone book or check the county's website. If you have information that may indicate improper governmental activities in a city county agency or by a city county employee or public official, we suggest that you subm…

See more on oag.ca.gov

Overview

Selection

Defense of the state in federal lawsuits

See also

External links

The most prevalent method of selecting a state's attorney general is by popular election. 43 states have an elected attorney general. Elected attorneys general serve a four-year term, except in Vermont, where the term is two years.
Seven states do not popularly elect an attorney general. In Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Wyoming, the attorney general is a gubernatorial appointee. The attorney general in …