why do most attorney generals become governors

Can governors tell their attorneys general what to do?

Apr 22, 2010 · Just in recent years, 28 lieutenant governors have become governor in this fashion. By contrast, just one attorney general has succeeded to the governorship in recent decades, Democrat Bruce Babbitt of Arizona. The governor of Arizona, Raul Castro (D), resigned to be appointed Ambassador to Argentina by President Carter in 1977.

What is the role of the Governor of a state?

Jul 23, 2013 · That is because first, there is most definitely a political component to the job of Attorney General, and some lawyer’s lawyers might be too cerebral too handle that aspect of the job. In fact, both of the lawyer-politicians to get elected recently in …

Should attorneys general defend state laws?

Jun 06, 2017 · State governors and attorneys general typically find themselves on the same side of the law. Nonetheless, an overwhelming majority of states directly elect their attorneys general. This framework creates a natural opportunity for conflicts to erupt, particularly when officials act to protect what they perceive to be equally legitimate interests.

Can a Democratic governor challenge a Republican Attorney General?

The positions of secretary of state, attorney general, and treasurer are all subject to statewide popular election in the majority of states, and at least one of the three is elected in most of the remaining states. Governors generally have limited authority in the appointment of state comptrollers and pre and post audit department heads.

How many Democratic attorney generals are there in the United States?

Current attorneys general The current party composition of the state attorneys general is: 23 Democrats. 27 Republicans.

How long do US attorney generals serve?

four-yearOf the 44 elected attorneys general, all serve four-year terms with the exception of Vermont, who serves a two-year term.

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.

Why are attorney generals called general?

The term was originally used to refer to any person who holds a general power of attorney to represent a principal in all matters. In the common law tradition, anyone who represents the state, especially in criminal prosecutions, is such an attorney.

Who was the last US attorney general?

List of U.S. attorneys generalAttorney GeneralYears of serviceMerrick Garland2021-PresentMichael B. Mukasey2007-2009Alberto R. Gonzales2005-2007John David Ashcroft2001-200582 more rows

Who was the last Attorney General?

California Former Attorneys GeneralMatthew Rodriguez2021 – 2021Kamala D. Harris2010 – 2017Edmund G. Brown, Jr.2007 – 2011Bill Lockyer1999 – 2007Daniel E. Lungren1991 – 199929 more rows

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.

Who does the attorney general of New York report to?

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).

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.

What is the difference between chief justice and Attorney General?

In layman terms, Chief Justice is a Judge and Attorney General is a Lawyer, both have distinct roles to play. The Attorney General of India is the highest law officer of the country and he/she is the chief legal advisor to the GoI. He is responsible to assist the government in all its legal matters.Feb 20, 2020

Who was Trump's Attorney General?

Jeff SessionsOfficial portrait, 201784th United States Attorney GeneralIn office February 9, 2017 – November 7, 2018PresidentDonald Trump33 more rows

How is US Attorney General chosen?

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 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.

Why is the Maine governor suing the attorney general?

In Maine, the state’s governor is suing its attorney general for refusing to represent him in federal lawsuits. In Louisiana, the state attorney general has sued the governor over a four-million-dollar funding dispute.

Why did Governor Raimondo ask for the 38 Studios?

Governor Raimondo—along with other Rhode Island political leaders—nevertheless asked the court to order the release of the 38 Studios materials based on the “profound and sustained public interest in [the deal’s] underlying circumstances and consequences.”. This request was not unprecedented.

What happened to Rhode Island when it filed for bankruptcy?

When the company subsequently filed for bankruptcy, Rhode Island taxpayers were left to cover its debt. Controversy has ensued ever since. It is a bedrock principle of the grand jury process that investigations are conducted in secret.

Do state governors and attorneys general clash?

When State Governors and Attorneys General Clash. State governors and attorneys general typically find themselves on the same side of the law. Nonetheless, an overwhelming majority of states directly elect their attorneys general. This framework creates a natural opportunity for conflicts to erupt, particularly when officials act to protect ...

Did the Governor's petition satisfy the grand jury?

The Court held that the Governor’s petition did not satisfy any of the exceptions governing the release of grand jury materials provided by Rhode Island law.

Will the governor appeal the Rhode Island case?

The Governor has not stated whether she will appeal the decision. The Rhode Island General Assembly is in any event poised to consider legislation that would deem any record created by the State Police or Attorney General’s Office related to the investigation a public record.

What are the powers of governors?

Emergency Powers. As chief executive, governors are responsible for ensuring their state is adequately prepared for emergencies and disasters of all types and sizes. Most emergencies and disasters are handled at the local level, and few require a presidential disaster declaration or attract worldwide media attention.

What is the role of a governor in the state legislature?

Governors play two broad roles in relation to state legislatures. First, they may be empowered to call special legislative sessions, provided in most cases that the purpose and agenda for the sessions are set in advance .

What is the process of confirmation of executive branch appointments?

While often pro forma in nature, the confirmation process with respect to executive branch appointments can be used by legislatures to expand their influence on governors and their policies.

Why do governors create sub-cabinets?

In a number of states, governors have created sub-cabinets to bring together agencies to address issues such as the needs of children. Forty-four states and all of the commonwealths and territories have cabinets and/or sub-cabinets.

How many governors have the power to veto a bill?

Veto Power. All 50 state governors have the power to veto whole legislative measures. In a large majority of states a bill will become law unless it is vetoed by the governor within a specified number of days, which vary among states.

How long is a gubernatorial term?

Gubernatorial terms are four years in every state, commonwealth, and territory but New Hampshire and Vermont, which have two year terms. All governors with the exception of Virginia’s may succeed themselves, although they may be limited to a specific number of consecutive or total terms.

Why do governors interact with their legislatures?

Governors interact with their legislatures to help ensure that their priorities, goals, and accomplishments are accurately presented and positively received during oversight hearings and other legislative activities that address and evaluate executive branch implementation of legislatively mandated programs and services.

Who was the governor of Georgia who sued the governor?

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, a Republican, sued his own Democratic attorney general, Thurbert Baker, that same year when Baker refused to drop a redistricting suit filed under the previous governor, a Democrat.

Why do AGs have more independence?

That is, AGs have more independence if they’re bringing a lawsuit on behalf of the state—suing the federal government over health care reform, say—than if they’re defending it. That’s because in defensive lawsuits, the attorney general coordinates with whichever state body is getting sued, be it the department of transportation or ...

Which states have sued the federal government for health care reform?

In at least two states— Michigan and Washington —Democratic governors have challenged their own AGs on the issue.

Can the governor influence the attorney general?

Governors can try to influence them informally—and in most cases, their interests line up—but they have no formal power over the AGs.

Do AGs have freedom?

Those AGs are still considered independent but in practice have less freedom to stray from the governor’s agenda. They also have little reason to do so, since they’re usually from the same political party as the governor and owe their positions to him.