Attorney General (state executive office)

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The attorney general is an executive office in all 50 states 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 most states, the attorney general has a substantial influence on a state's approach to law enforcement. Attorneys general often set particular law enforcement priorities (e.g. drug law, civil rights violations or sexual crime) and focus extra resources on these issues. This puts them, in the words of the National Association of Attorneys General, at the "intersection of law and public policy."^[1]^[2]

Political parties

The chart below is a breakdown of the political parties pertaining to the state executive office of attorney general.^[3] For other state executive offices, click here.

Office	Democratic	Republican	Independent	Nonpartisan	Vacant	Total seats
Attorney General	21	28	0	1	0	50
Counts current as of September 2025. If you see an error, please email us.

Current officeholders

List of current attorneys general

Office	Name	Party	Date assumed office
Attorney General of Alabama	Steve Marshall	Republican	February 10, 2017
Attorney General of Alaska	Stephen Cox	Republican	August 29, 2025
Attorney General of Arizona	Kris Mayes	Democratic	January 2, 2023
Attorney General of Arkansas	Tim Griffin	Republican	January 10, 2023
Attorney General of California	Rob Bonta	Democratic	April 23, 2021
Attorney General of Colorado	Phil Weiser	Democratic	January 8, 2019
Attorney General of Connecticut	William Tong	Democratic	January 9, 2019
Attorney General of Delaware	Kathy Jennings	Democratic	January 1, 2019
Attorney General of Florida	James Uthmeier	Republican	February 18, 2025
Attorney General of Georgia	Chris Carr	Republican	November 1, 2016
Attorney General of Guam	Douglas Moylan	Nonpartisan	January 2, 2023
Attorney General of Hawaii	Anne Lopez	Nonpartisan	December 5, 2022
Attorney General of Idaho	Raúl Labrador	Republican	January 2, 2023
Attorney General of Illinois	Kwame Raoul	Democratic	January 15, 2019
Attorney General of Indiana	Todd Rokita	Republican	January 11, 2021
Attorney General of Iowa	Brenna Bird	Republican	January 2, 2023
Attorney General of Kansas	Kris Kobach	Republican	January 9, 2023
Attorney General of Kentucky	Russell Coleman	Republican	January 1, 2024
Attorney General of Louisiana	Liz Murrill	Republican	January 8, 2024
Attorney General of Maine	Aaron Frey	Democratic	January 8, 2019
Attorney General of Maryland	Anthony G. Brown	Democratic	January 3, 2023
Attorney General of Massachusetts	Andrea Campbell	Democratic	January 4, 2023
Attorney General of Michigan	Dana Nessel	Democratic	January 1, 2019
Attorney General of Minnesota	Keith Ellison	Democratic	January 7, 2019
Attorney General of Mississippi	Lynn Fitch	Republican	January 9, 2020
Attorney General of Missouri	Catherine Hanaway	Republican	September 8, 2025
Attorney General of Montana	Austin Knudsen	Republican	January 4, 2021
Attorney General of Nebraska	Mike Hilgers	Republican	January 5, 2023
Attorney General of Nevada	Aaron Ford	Democratic	January 7, 2019
Attorney General of New Hampshire	John Formella	Republican	April 22, 2021
Attorney General of New Jersey	Matt Platkin	Democratic	September 29, 2022
Attorney General of New Mexico	Raul Torrez	Democratic	January 1, 2023
Attorney General of New York	Letitia James	Democratic	January 1, 2019
Attorney General of North Carolina	Jeff Jackson	Democratic	January 1, 2025
Attorney General of North Dakota	Drew Wrigley	Republican	February 9, 2022
Attorney General of Ohio	Dave Yost	Republican	January 14, 2019
Attorney General of Oklahoma	Gentner Drummond	Republican	January 9, 2023
Attorney General of Oregon	Dan Rayfield	Democratic	December 31, 2024
Attorney General of Pennsylvania	Dave Sunday	Republican	January 21, 2025
Attorney General of Rhode Island	Peter Neronha	Democratic	January 1, 2019
Attorney General of South Carolina	Alan Wilson	Republican	January 12, 2011
Attorney General of South Dakota	Marty J. Jackley	Republican	January 2, 2023
Attorney General of Tennessee	Jonathan Skrmetti	Republican	September 1, 2022
Attorney General of Texas	Ken Paxton	Republican	September 18, 2023
Attorney General of Utah	Derek Brown	Republican	January 7, 2025
Attorney General of Vermont	Charity Clark	Democratic	January 5, 2023
Attorney General of Virginia	Jason Miyares	Republican	January 15, 2022
Attorney General of Washington	Nick Brown	Democratic	January 13, 2025
Attorney General of West Virginia	John B. McCuskey	Republican	January 13, 2025
Attorney General of Wisconsin	Josh Kaul	Democratic	January 7, 2019
Attorney General of Wyoming	Keith G. Kautz	Republican	July 7, 2025
Attorney General of the Northern Mariana Islands	Edward Manibusan	Nonpartisan	January 12, 2015

Partisanship affiliation map

Comparison across states

Although Ballotpedia covers Washington, D.C., and the five U.S. territories and their officeholders, D.C. and territory officeholders are not included in the following figures.

Selection process

Compensation

Vacancy fill methods

Initiate local prosecution

Supersede local prosecution

Criminal appeals

Term limits

Historical elections

The attorney general is directly elected in 43 states. 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.

In 36 states, the attorney general has the power to take over a case handled by a local prosecutor without instructions from the governor or legislature, although this power is restricted to certain cases in 22 of those states. This differs from general power of oversight over legal matters in a state and the ability of some attorneys general to initiate local prosecution or to step in and provide assistance to a local prosecutor without instructions from the governor or legislature. In Alaska and Delaware, the attorney general's office is responsible for handling all local prosecution by default.^[4]

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 grew its majority control of elected attorney general offices, although the difference between the two parties was three or fewer from 2019 to 2023.

Election history

2025

See also: Attorney General elections, 2025

One state is holding elections for attorney general in 2025:

Virginia

2024

See also: Attorney General elections, 2024

Ten states held elections for attorney general in 2024:

2023

See also: Attorney General elections, 2023

Three states held elections for attorney general in 2023:

2022

See also: Attorney General elections, 2022

Thirty states held elections for attorney general in 2022:

Click here for a list of past elections (click to expand)

2021

See also: Attorney General elections, 2021

One state held elections for attorney general in 2021:

Virginia

2020

See also: Attorney General elections, 2020

Ten states held elections for attorney general in 2020:

2019

See also: Attorney General elections, 2019

Three states held elections for attorney general in 2019:

2018

See also: Attorney General elections, 2018

Thirty states held elections for attorney general in 2018:

2017

One state held an election for attorney general in 2017:

Virginia

2016

See also: Attorney General elections, 2016

Ten states held elections for attorney general in 2016:

2015

See also: Attorney General elections, 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.

2014

Main article: Attorney General elections, 2014

Thirty states held regularly scheduled attorney general elections in the 2014 electoral cycle:

Utah also held a special election to fill the remaining two years of John Swallow's term.

2013

Main article: State executive official elections, 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.^[5]^[6] 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.^[7]^[8] 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.^[9]^[10]

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. Five incumbents sought, and won, re-election, and the status breakdown of the remaining seats was as follows:

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.
One—Oregon AG John Kroger (D)—resigned six months ahead of schedule to take a new job as president of Reed College in Portland. 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.

Democrats won six of the 2012 races while Republicans took four, thus the partisan balance remained unchanged.

2011

Main article: Attorney General elections, 2011

Three states, Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi, had regularly scheduled attorney general elections in the 2011 electoral cycle.

Incumbents were re-elected in all three states. Democratic incumbents Jack Conway (KY) and Jim Hood (MS) successfully defended their posts against Republican challengers Todd P’Pool and Steve Simpson, respectively. The Attorney General of Louisiana election was decided even before the October 22, 2011, primary election. Incumbent Republican Buddy Caldwell was unopposed in the race after his sole challenger, former U.S. Representative Joseph Cao, withdrew from the race in late September 2011, and the office of attorney general did not appear on the ballot.^[11]

2010

Main article: Attorney General elections, 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.

Partisan breakdown of State Attorneys General
Party	Before November 2010 election			After November 2010 election
Party	With 2010 elections	Unelected AGs	Total AGs	Post 2010 elections	Unelected AGs	Total AGs	Gain/loss legislators
Democratic	20	12	32	14	12	26	-6
Republican	10	8	18	16	8	24	+6

External links

Website of the National Association of Attorneys General

Footnotes

↑ The National Association of Attorneys General, "Home," accessed March 26, 2013
↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of States 2012," accessed October 17, 2012
↑ Although Ballotpedia covers Washington, D.C., and the five U.S. territories and their officeholders, D.C. and territory officeholders are not included in the following figures.
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2017 - Attorneys General: Prosecutorial and Advisory Duties," accessed December 3, 2017
↑ Virginia State Board of Elections, " Election Results – General Election – November 5, 2013," accessed November 13, 2013 at 7:40 a.m. CT
↑ Washington Post, "Herring wins Virginia attorney general race, elections board announces," November 25, 2013
↑ USA Today, "Virginia attorney general race heads to recount," November 27, 2013
↑ Politico, "Mark Obenshain to request recount in Virginia attorney general race," November 26, 2013
↑ Politico, "Mark Obenshain to request recount in Virginia attorney general race," November 26, 2013
↑ Washington Post, Obenshain concedes Virginia attorney general’s race to Herring, December 18, 2013
↑ The Green Papers, "2010 Gubernatorial Primaries at a Glance"

[1] The National Association of Attorneys General, "Home," accessed March 26, 2013

[2] Council of State Governments, "The Book of States 2012," accessed October 17, 2012

[3] Although Ballotpedia covers Washington, D.C., and the five U.S. territories and their officeholders, D.C. and territory officeholders are not included in the following figures.

[powers-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2017 - Attorneys General: Prosecutorial and Advisory Duties," accessed December 3, 2017

[5] Virginia State Board of Elections, " Election Results – General Election – November 5, 2013," accessed November 13, 2013 at 7:40 a.m. CT

[6] Washington Post, "Herring wins Virginia attorney general race, elections board announces," November 25, 2013

[7] USA Today, "Virginia attorney general race heads to recount," November 27, 2013

[8] Politico, "Mark Obenshain to request recount in Virginia attorney general race," November 26, 2013

[9] Politico, "Mark Obenshain to request recount in Virginia attorney general race," November 26, 2013

[10] Washington Post, Obenshain concedes Virginia attorney general’s race to Herring, December 18, 2013

[11] The Green Papers, "2010 Gubernatorial Primaries at a Glance"

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Attorney General (state executive office)

Contents

Political parties

Current officeholders

List of current attorneys general

Partisanship affiliation map

Comparison across states

Election history

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

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Information for candidates

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