which states have attorney general appointed by the governor

by Dane Wiza 6 min read

In Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Wyoming, the attorney general is a gubernatorial appointee. 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.

How is the Attorney General of a state appointed?

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.

Which states do not elect an attorney general?

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 …

What is an attorneys general and what do they do?

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 .

Does the Governor have power over the Attorney General?

In Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Wyoming, the attorney general is a gubernatorial appointee. 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.

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Is the attorney general appointed by the governor in Texas?

The attorneys general of the Republic of Texas and the first four attorneys general under the 1845 state constitution were appointed by the governor. The office was made elective in 1850 by constitutional amendment. The attorney general is elected to a four-year term.

Is NY attorney general appointed or elected?

From 1823 to 1846, the attorney general was elected by the New York State Legislature for a three-year term. Attorneys general have been elected by the voters since 1847.

Who appoints attorney general USA?

the president of the United StatesThe 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 US?

In the order of creation, the position of attorney general was the fourth cabinet level position created by Congress, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Attorneys general may be impeached and removed from office by Congress. As of 2013 the office of U.S. Attorney General has been held by eighty two people.

How much does the New York attorney general make?

State executive salariesOffice and current officialSalaryAttorney General of New York Letitia JamesNew York Secretary of State Robert RodriguezNew York Public Service Commission James Alesi$127,000New York Commissioner of Agriculture Richard A. Ball$120,80010 more rows

Who is the New York AG?

Letitia James (Working Families Party)New York / Attorney generalLetitia Ann "Tish" James is an American lawyer, activist, and politician. She is a member of the Democratic Party and the current Attorney General of New York, having won the 2018 election to succeed appointed Attorney General Barbara Underwood. Wikipedia

How are US attorneys appointed?

Appointment. 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. A U.S. attorney continues in office, beyond the appointed term, until a successor is appointed and qualified.

Who was the last U.S. Attorney General?

List of U.S. attorneys generalAttorney GeneralYears of serviceMerrick Garland2021-PresentLoretta Lynch2015-2017Eric Holder2009-2015Michael B. Mukasey2007-200982 more rows

Who is the DOJ now?

Merrick GarlandThe current attorney general is Merrick Garland, who was sworn in on March 11, 2021....United States Department of Justice.Agency overviewMotto"Qui Pro Domina Justitia Sequitur" (Latin: "Who prosecutes on behalf of justice (or the Lady Justice)"Employees113,114 (2019)Annual budget$29.9 billion (FY 2019)9 more rows

Who is the highest law officer of a state?

Advocate General of the StateAdvocate 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 generals are there in New York?

New York Former Attorneys GeneralBarbara Underwood (Acting)2018Eric Schneiderman2011 – 2018Andrew M. Cuomo2007 – 2010Eliot Spitzer1999 – 2006Dennis Vacco1995 – 199859 more rows

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.

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 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)

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.

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 states have the power to appeal a criminal case?

Attorneys general: Power to represent state in 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. Attorney general term limits. Attorney general term limits.

How many states were elected in 2012?

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.

Who appointed Ellen Rosenblum as the Attorney General?

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.

How many states have an attorney general?

Although the vast majority of the states — to be exact, 43 states out of 50 — divide the power of the executive branch by making the Attorney General an elected position, that is not the only way to do it. Five states — Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Wyoming — have AGs appointed by the governor.

When did the Office of Corporation Counsel change to Office of the Attorney General?

The change came about in 2004 when then-Mayor Anthony Williams signed an order renaming the “Office of the Corporation Counsel for the District of Columbia” to “the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia.”. The powers and duties of the O.C.C./OAG are similar to those of the Attorneys General of the several states, ...

Which states have AGs?

Five states — Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Wyoming — have AGs appointed by the governor. Maine and Tennessee use different methods altogether — in Maine, the Attorney General is selected by secret ballot of the legislature and in Tennessee, the state AG is appointed by the state Supreme Court.

How many states have governors and attorney generals from the same party?

In seven states, the governor and the attorney general are not from the same party. This occurs in four states with Republican governors and three states with Democratic governors. In 10 states, the governor and the secretary of state are not from the same party. This occurs in five states with Democratic governors and five states ...

How many states have a Republican governor but not an attorney general?

There are seven states where the governor and the attorney general are not from the same party. In four states there is a Republican serving as governor but not as attorney general. Iowa. Maryland.

When did Governor Bevin issue the executive order?

On June 16, 2017 , Governor Bevin issued an updated executive order, which amended several of the provisions in the original order. Attorney General Beshear filed a lawsuit in Franklin Circuit Court against the new order on June 20, 2017 , arguing that it still exceeded the governor's authority.

What is a triplex in state government?

A state government triplex is a term to describe when one political party holds the following three positions in a state's government: governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. In states where the attorney general or secretary of state are appointed by the governor, Ballotpedia considers the office to be held by the governor's party for the purposes of defining triplexes. In states where these officers are not all from the same party, differing political views can bring them into direct conflict with one another. According to Christopher Beam of Slate, disputes between governors and attorneys general are fairly common and usually occur along partisan lines. Based on Ballotpedia's analysis, similar disputes are likely to arise between a governor and secretary of state who belong to opposing parties. Having all three executives of the same political party, then, can lessen these conflicts.

How long is the term of the Colorado Attorney General?

Colorado's attorney general is an statewide elected office. The position is term-limited to two four year terms. Coffman was first elected in 2014. Colorado's governor is also term-limited to two four year terms.

How many states have triplexes?

There are currently triplexes in 38 of the 50 states. As of January 2021, there were seven states where the governor and attorney general were of different parties and 10 states where the governor and secretary of state were of different parties. To see examples of conflicts between governors and attorneys general, click here.

Who is the Attorney General of Kentucky?

In June 2019, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of Bevin. Attorney General Beshear (D) was first elected in 2015, succeeding Jack Conway (D). Governor Matt Bevin (R) was also elected for the first time in 2015, succeeding Gov. Steve Beshear (D), Attorney General Beshear's father.

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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