Although there is much to be said in favor of an Attorney General elected by a popular vote, if your goal is to fill the position with a “lawyer’s lawyer” you had better keep looking. That is for many reasons, not the least of which is that popular elections turn the job of picking a lawyer’s lawyer over to the whims of the political process.
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
In any event, from the inception of the office in 1902 right up through today, the OCC or D.C.AG has been appointed by the Mayor of the District rather than elected by a popular vote.
↑LoudounNow, "Randall Backs Herring Re-election Bid," March 17, 2021 ↑Vermont holds attorney general elections every two years. To view a full election history, click here.
The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States. Washington, D.C. 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.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland was sworn in as the 86th Attorney General of the United States on March 11, 2021. As the nation's chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Garland leads the Justice Department's 115,000 employees, who work across the United States and in more than 50 countries worldwide.
On March 16, 2016, President Obama nominated Merrick Garland, the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, to fill the vacant seat on the Court.
President Barack Obama, a Democrat, nominated Garland to serve as an associate justice of the Supreme Court in March 2016 to fill the vacancy created by the death of Antonin Scalia. However, the Republican Senate majority refused to hold a hearing or vote on his nomination.
K. K. VenugopalThe 15th and current Attorney General is K. K. Venugopal....Attorney-General for India.Attorney General for IndiaAbbreviationAGResidenceNew Delhi, IndiaSeatA-144, Neeti Bagh, New Delhi-110049AppointerPresident of India on advice of the Union Cabinet9 more rows
73 years (June 23, 1948)Clarence Thomas / Age
Four presidents—William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Andrew Johnson, and Jimmy Carter—did not make any nominations, as there were no vacancies while they were in office.
Sonia Sotomayor2009Elena Kagan2010Barack Obama/Supreme Court judges appointed
the SenateWhen the debate ends, the Senate votes on the nomination. A simple majority of the Senators present and voting is required for the judicial nominee to be confirmed. If there is a tie, the Vice President who also presides over the Senate casts the deciding vote.
2021 Virginia Attorney General electionNomineeJason MiyaresMark HerringPartyRepublicanDemocraticPopular vote1,647,1001,620,564Percentage50.4%49.6%1 more row
51 years (September 14, 1970)Ketanji Brown Jackson / Age
Notable membersChief Justice of the United States John Roberts (disputed)Former United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia (who served as the original faculty advisor to the organization)Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.More items...
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.
In 2022, thirty states will be holding attorney general elections. Click here to read more about state attorney general elections in 2022.
A state government triplex describes when one political party holds the following three positions in a state's government: governor, attorney general, and secretary of state.
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.
Triplexes. New Jersey and Virginia are holding elections for one or more triplex offices in 2021. 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.
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. A total of 17 states impose some form of term limits on attorneys general.
2022 →. There is one attorney general seat on the ballot in 2021. This election is in Virginia . As the state's chief legal officer, the attorney general is responsible for enforcing state law and advising the state government on legal matters.
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.
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.
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)
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.
Although Ballotpedia covers the five U.S. territories#N#The five U.S. territories are American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands.#N#and their officeholders, territory officeholders are not included in the following figures.
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.
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.
Once committee hearings are closed, most committees have a set amount of time before a vote is taken on whether the nominee is reported to the Senate favorably, unfavorably, or without recommendation. The nomination will then go to the Senate floor for consideration. Once the nomination is considered by the Senate, unlimited debate is allowed until a majority of the Senate votes to invoke cloture and close debate. Following a vote of cloture, the Senate conducts a simple majority vote on whether to confirm, reject, or take no action on the nomination.
The Senate Judiciary Committee held Garland's confirmation hearing for February 22-23, 2021. The Senate confirmed him on March 10 , 2021, by a vote of 70-30.
The confirmation process includes several rounds of investigation and review, beginning with the submission of a personal financial disclosure report and a background check. The nominee is then evaluated in a committee hearing, which allows for a close examination of the nominee and his or her views on public policy.
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.
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.
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 until 2018, when Democrats regained a majority of elected attorney general offices. 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 22 elected seats to Democrats' 21.
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.
Reyes became attorney general in 2013. He ran on his record, saying he protected children, teens, people's private online data, and family finances. He said Leavitt's focus on criminal justice reform as the most important issue showed he was not qualified to hold the office. Reyes also said, "My opponent talks about me being aggressive. I am aggressive on crime. But there's a reason people like Sen. Mike Lee have said that I've done more for criminal justice reform than any other Republican attorney general in the United States."
No attorney general offices changed partisan control as a result of the 2020 elections. Eight incumbents won re-election, one incumbent did not run for re-election, and one incumbent was defeated in a party convention.
Westercamp avoided campaigning around Hill's legal proceedings. He said, "I'm not running because of any other person," adding, "Not once have I discussed [Hill's] legal or personal problems in my [campaign materials]." At the time of the election, Westercamp practiced regulatory and commercial law at Bose McKinney & Evans LLP.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday advanced federal appeals court Judge Merrick Garland ’s nomination to be attorney general to the full Senate, paving the way for his confirmation to head the Department of Justice. The bipartisan vote was 15-7.
It was, 15-7.
Garland also spoke about his role overseeing the prosecutions that stemmed from the 1995 Oklahoma City far-right terrorist bombing, saying he would draw from the experience as he oversaw the investigations into the riot at the Capitol. Garland said the probe into the attack would be his No. 1 priority.
Garland is known to the public largely as the face of Senate Republicans’ successful bid to stonewall former President Barack Obama ’s effort to replace Justice Antonin Scalia on the nation’s highest court.
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.
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, ...
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.
In each state or jurisdiction with a false claims act, the Office of the Attorney General is charged with supervising the enforcement of the statute. To my knowledge, no other state is currently hashing out this old argument about elected vs. appointed AGs, so I thought it would prove of interest to readers.
One of the things to be said in favor of electing an Attorney General is that you don’t have an individual in that job who does nothing more than carry water for the Mayor (or for the Governor). On the other hand, some people worry about the ability of an elected Attorney General to properly prosecute cases of fraud on the government because such cases are sometimes (but not always) against the sorts of companies who contribute to state wide campaigns.