how many state elect attorney general

by Ruthe Reinger 3 min read

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.

How are attorneys general elected in the US?

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. Are Attorney Generals voted in?

Which states do not elect an attorney general?

29 rows · The attorney general is directly elected in 43 states. The attorney general is appointed ...

How many states have term limits for Attorney General?

Attorney General elections, 2022. There are 30 attorney general seats on the ballot in 2022. These elections are in 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, …

How many states held elections for Attorney General in 2019?

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.

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Does each state have its own attorney general?

All 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, have an attorney general who serves as the chief legal officer in their jurisdiction, counsels its government agencies and legislatures, and is a representative of the public ...

How is the US attorney general elected?

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, then appointed with the advice and consent of the United States Senate.

How many attorney generals are there in the United States?

Term Limits. Of the 50 Attorneys General, 25 do not have a formal provision specifying the number of terms allowed. Of the 44 elected attorneys general, all serve four-year terms with the exception of Vermont, who serves a two-year term.

Are district attorneys elected?

A district attorney is a public official who is appointed or elected to represent the state in criminal judicial proceedings in a particular judicial district or county; an appointed or elected officer who prosecutes cases in a particular judicial district.

Who is the NY State Attorney General?

Letitia James (Working Families Party)New York / Attorney generalLetitia “Tish” James is the 67th Attorney General for the State of New York. With decades of work, she is an experienced attorney and public servant with a long record of accomplishments. She is the first woman of color to hold statewide office in New York and the first woman to be elected Attorney General.

Who is the highest law officer?

Advocate General of the State is the highest law officer in the state. The Constitution of India (Article 165) has provided for the office of the Advocate General for the states. Also, he corresponds to the Attorney General of India.

How many Attorney General's are there in New York?

The Office of the Attorney General's thirteen Regional Offices help carry out the Attorney General's essential defensive, regulatory and affirmative justice functions in every part of New York State.

Who is current AG?

Merrick GarlandUnited States / Attorney generalMerrick Brian Garland is an American lawyer and jurist serving as the 86th United States attorney general since March 2021. He served as a circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1997 to 2021. Wikipedia

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Who is Dick Armey?

Dick Armey, former House Majority Leader (1995-2003) and former U.S. Representative for Texas's 26th congressional district (1985-2003) Statewide officials. Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas (1996–2007) and candidate for President of the United States in 2008 and 2016. State Senators.

Who is Cathie Adams?

Cathie Adams, former chair of the Republican Party of Texas (2009-2010) and former Republican National Committeewoman from Texas (2008–2009 ) David Barton, evangelical Christian political activist and author.

Who is John Ratcliffe?

John Ratcliffe, former Director of National Intelligence (2020-2021), U.S. Representative for Texas's 4th congressional district (2015-2020), former Mayor of Heath (2004-2012) and former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas (2007-2008)

Who is the attorney general of Florida?

In addition to the 20 state attorneys, Florida also has an elected cabinet post position for the attorney general who serves as the chief legal officer of the state and is head of the Florida Department of Legal Affairs. Ashley Moody, a Republican, is the current attorney general who took office on January 8, 2019.

What is the job of a state attorney?

The State Attorney is given the task of seeking to convict or punish the guilty while protecting the innocent from false allegations. While acting as the Chief Criminal Prosecutor, the State Attorney also represents the State in various civil matters and litigation.

What is the state attorney in Florida?

In Florida, the top prosecutor in each judicial circuit is called the State Attorney. The other attorneys working at the State Attorney’s Office are called “Assistant State Attorneys.”. Other states use the term “District Attorney.”. In the federal system, the equivalent terms are “United States Attorney” and “Assistant United States Attorney.”.

How many circuits are there in Florida?

Florida is divided into twenty (20) judicial circuits, each of which is composed of Circuit and County Courts. For this reason, Florida has twenty (20) different State Attorneys representing the twenty (20) different judicial circuits. In each judicial circuit, the State Attorney acts in a semi-judicial role in leading a staff ...

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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