how does us attorney general elected

by Zoey Oberbrunner 8 min read

The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States. Under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution, the officeholder is nominated by the president of the United States
president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › President_of_the_United_States
, then appointed with the advice and consent of the United States Senate.

Who is the current Attorney General?

115 rows · The United States attorney general ( AG) leads the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief lawyer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all legal matters. The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United ...

Who is the current head of DOJ?

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 do you contact Attorney General?

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 Compensation of state attorneys general (2017) + – $80,000 $100,000 $120,000 $140,000 $160,000 $180,000

How many Attorney General in US?

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. Analysis of state elections See …

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Does the US attorney general have to be approved by Congress?

The United States attorney general is the head of the U.S. Department of Justice. The position requires a presidential nomination and subsequent confirmation by the United States Senate.

How are US attorneys selected?

U.S. Attorneys are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, and they serve terms of four years or at the President's discretion.

Who appoints the U.S. prosecutors?

the President of the United StatesAppointment. The U.S. attorney is appointed by the President of the United States for a term of four years, with appointments subject to confirmation by the Senate.

What is the highest paid lawyer?

Highest paid lawyers: salary by practice areaPatent attorney: $180,000.Intellectual property (IP) attorney: $162,000.Trial attorneys: $134,000.Tax attorney (tax law): $122,000.Corporate lawyer: $115,000.Employment lawyer: $87,000.Real Estate attorney: $86,000.Divorce attorney: $84,000.More items...•Dec 14, 2021

What is the job of the Attorney General?

The attorney general is an executive office in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., 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.

Which states have elected an attorney general in 2015?

Three 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.

How many territories are there in the US?

Comparison across states. Although Ballotpedia covers the five U.S. territories. The five U.S. territories are American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands. and their officeholders, territory officeholders are not included in the following figures.

Who was the attorney general in 2013?

One 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. 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. 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.

How many states have an attorney general?

The attorney general is directly elected in 43 states and Washington, D.C. 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 of state attorneys general (2017)

Who ran for governor in 2012?

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.

How many elections were held in 2010?

Thirty 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.

How many states have elected an attorney general in 2019?

Three states held elections for attorney general in 2019. Republicans gained control of two Democratic-held attorney general offices held one office for a net gain of two seats. As a result, Republicans held a majority of all attorney general offices nationwide.

What is the role of the Attorney General?

The attorney general is responsible for enforcing state law and advising the state government on legal matters. In many states, attorneys general play a large role in the law enforcement process.

Who did Todd Rokita beat?

Todd Rokita defeated incumbent Curtis Hill and two other candidates in the Republican Party primary convention to determine the party's attorney general nominee in the November 3, 2020, general election. After the final round of voting, Rokita received 52 percent of the delegate vote to Hill's 48 percent. Nate Harter and John Westercamp also participated in the convention and were eliminated in earlier rounds of voting.

How many states have triplex elections?

Thirteen states held elections for one or more triplex offices on November 3, 2020. A state government triplex occurs when the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state in a given state are all members of the same political party.

Who won the Utah primary in 2020?

Incumbent Sean Reyes defeated David Leavitt in the Republican Party primary for Utah attorney general on June 30, 2020. Reyes received 54% of the vote to Leavitt's 46%. Reyes and Leavitt advanced from the April 25 state Republican Party convention, where Reyes received 57.5% of the vote to Leavitt's 42.5%.

Is Oregon a triplex state?

Oregon. As a result of the 2020 elections, Oregon transitioned from divided control to a Democratic triplex. Democrats flipped the secretary of state's office and maintained control of the attorney general office. Incumbent Gov. Kate Brown (D) was not up for re-election in 2020.

Is Indiana a Republican state?

At the time of the election, Indiana was one of 19 states with a Republican triplex, meaning Republicans controlled the positions of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general . Before 2020, the last time Indiana elected a Democratic attorney general was in 1996.

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 job of an attorney general?

The primary job of a state attorney general is to serve as chief legal adviser to the agencies and legislative organs that make up his or her state's government, in addition to the citizens residing within the state. It is this last common aspect of the role, ...

How many states have an attorney general?

The attorney general is appointed by the governor in five states: Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Wyoming. In Maine, the attorney general is chosen by the state legislature, while in Tennessee the choice falls to the state supreme court .

Who has the power to represent the state in criminal appeals?

Attorneys general: Power to represent state in criminal appeals#N#Attorneys general: Power to represent state in criminal appeals#N#+#N#–#N#In no cases#N#In some cases#N#In all cases#N#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.

What are the requirements for a state office?

Of the 35 states: 1 7 designate an officeholder must be at least 30 years of age. ( FL, ID, KY, NM, NY, PA and VA) 2 10 require a minimum age of 25. ( AL, AZ, GA, IL, LA, MT, NV, ND, UT and WV) 3 13 require a minimum age of 18. ( AK, CA, CT, IA, MA, MI, NJ, OH, OR, RI, SD, VT and WA) 4 2, Minnesota and North Carolina, set the limit at 21. 5 1, Oklahoma, sets the limit at 31. 6 1, Colorado, sets the limit at 27. 7 1, Mississippi, sets the limit at 26.

U.S. ATTORNEY GENERALS SHOULD BE ELECTED

This Op-Ed by yours truly appears in Florida Today newspaper. Title speaks for itself:

Marshall Frank: US attorney generals should be elected

If President Bill Clinton had Eric Holder for attorney general in 1998, there would never have been an impeachment for committing perjury. Instead, America was treated to a fair investigation. Clinton had appointed a straight-laced attorney general named Janet Reno, probably the least political-minded AG in history.

What does the Attorney General do?

The Attorney General advises the executive branch of state government and defends actions and proceedings on behalf of the state. The Attorney General acts independently of the Governor of New York. The department's regulations are compiled in title 13 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations (NYCRR).

Who is the Attorney General of the Netherlands?

The office has been in existence in some form since 1626, under the Dutch colonial government of New Netherlands. Democrat Letitia James currently serves as Attorney General, in office since January 1, 2019.

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Overview

Selection

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 …

Defense of the state in federal lawsuits

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.

See also

• State constitutional officer (United States)
• National Association of Attorneys General
• List of U.S. statewide elected officials

External links

• Listing of official State Attorney General websites