Attorney General of Idaho
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Current officeholder
The current and 32nd attorney general is Lawrence Wasden, a Republican, who was first elected on November 5, 2002, and re-elected in 2006 and 2010. Wasden's third time began on January 3, 2011, and will end on January 5, 2015. He will come up for re-election in 2014.
Wasden has had a 22 year career in the Idaho attorney general's office, serving variously as chief of staff to the attorney general, deputy chief of staff, and a deputy attorney general for the Idaho State Tax Commission. He has also served as a deputy prosecuting attorney in Canyon County, ID, and as a prosecuting attorney in Owyhee County, ID.[1]
Authority
The office of attorney general is established in the Idaho Constitution.
Idaho Constitution, Article IV, Section 1
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The executive department shall consist of a governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state controller, state treasurer, attorney general and superintendent of public instruction, each of whom shall hold his office for four years |
Qualifications
Per Article IV, Section 3 of the Idaho Constitution, a candidate for attorney general is required to be:
- at least 30 old
- a member of the Idaho bar in good standing
- a United States citizen
- a resident of Idaho at least two years prior to the election
Idaho Constitution, Article IV, Section 3
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No person shall be eligible ... to the office of attorney general unless he shall have attained the age of thirty years, and have been admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the state or territory of Idaho, and be in good standing at the time of his election. In addition to the qualifications above described each of the officers named shall be a citizen of the United States and shall have resided within the state or territory two years next preceding his election. |
Elections
Idaho elects attorneys general to four year terms in federal midterm election years, that is, even years that are not presidential election years. Thus, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 are all election years. Winners take office on the first Monday in the January following an election. Thus, January 3, 2011 and January 5, 2015 are inaugural days.
If two candidates ever tie in the general election, a joint session of the legislature chooses the winner by a majority vote.
Term limits
- See also: States with gubernatorial term limits
There are no term limits for this office. Out of all of Idaho's state executives, only the Idaho Controller faces term limits.
2010
- See also: Idaho Attorney General election, 2010
- 2010 Race for Attorney General - Republican Primary and General Election
- Lawrence Wasden ran unopposed in both contests
2006
| 2006 Race for Attorney General - Republican Primary [2] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
 Lawrence Wasden (R)
|
73.7% | |||
| Myron Dan Gabbert (R) | 26.3% | |||
| Total votes | 121,122 | |||
| 2006 Race for Attorney General - General Election [3] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
| Lawrence Wasden (R)
|
61.8% | |||
| Robert A. Wallace (D) | 38.2% | |||
| Total votes | 433,557 | |||
2002
| 2002 Race for Attorney General - Republican Primary [4] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
| Lawrence Wasden (R)
|
32.2% | |||
| Michael Bogert (R) | 30.5% | |||
| Todd Lakey (R) | 23.5% | |||
| Myron Dan Gabbert (R) | 13.8% | |||
| Total votes | 124,004 | |||
| 2002 Race for Attorney General - General Election [5] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
| Lawrence Wasden (R)
|
58.1% | |||
| R. Keith Roark (D) | 41.9% | |||
| Total votes | 399,204 | |||
Vacancies
Per Article IV, Section 6 of the Idaho Constitution, the governor appoints a replacement to any state office where a vacancy occurs, subject to the approval of the Idaho Senate. The appointee serves until the next general election.
Duties
The attorney general acts as the state's primary legal counsel; it represents Idaho in legal matters and issues formal legal opinions on policy issues to state agencies and the legislature. The attorney general's office also runs a variety of programs to reduce types of serious crime, including child sexual abuse, Medicaid fraud, and others.
Divisions
- Chief Deputy
- Assistant Chief Deputy
- Civil Litigation Division
- Consumer Protection Division
- Contracts and Administrative Law Division
- Criminal Law Division
- Human Services Division
- Intergovernmental and Fiscal Law Division
- Natural Resources Division
- Administration and Budget Division
- Office Statistics
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
In 2012, the Idaho Attorney General was paid an estimated $103,984. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.
The attorney general's compensation is determined by law.
Contact Information
Address:
Office of the Attorney General
700 West State Street
Boise, ID 83720-0010
Phone: 208-334-2400
Fax: 208-854-8071
See also
External links
References
- ↑ Office of the Idaho Attorney General, "Bio," accessed September 29, 2011.
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State Election Division - 2006 Primary Election Results
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State Election Division - 2006 General Election Results
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State Election Division - 2002 Primary Election Results
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State Election Division - 2002 General Election Results
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