Attorney General of Maryland

Maryland Attorney General
General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
Term limits:	None
Structure
Length of term:	4 years
Authority:	Maryland Constitution, Article 5, Section 1
Selection Method:	Elected
Current Officeholder
Name:	Doug Gansler
Officeholder Party:	Democratic
Assumed office:	2006
Compensation:	$125,000
Elections
Next election:	November 4, 2014
Last election:	November 2, 2010
Other Maryland Executive Offices
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Comptroller • Treasurer • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Secretary • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Secretary of Labor • Public Service Commission

The Attorney General of Maryland is the chief legal officer of the State of Maryland in the United States and is elected by the people every four years with no term limits. To run for the office a person must be a citizen of and qualified voter in Maryland and must have resided and practiced law in the state for at least ten years.

Current officeholder

The current officeholder is Doug Gansler. He first won election in 2006 and his current term expires in 2014.

Authority

The office of the Attorney General is established by Article 5, Section 1 of the Maryland Constitution.

Article 5, Section 1:

There shall be an Attorney-General elected by the qualified voters of the State, on general ticket, on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November...

Qualifications

Here is a list of the standard qualifications necessary under Maryland State Law in order to be considered for the Office of State Attorney General:

• "No person shall be eligible to the office of Attorney General, who is not a citizen of this State, and a qualified voter therein, and has not resided and practiced Law in this State for at least ten years." (Maryland Constitution, Article V § 4)

Elections

Maryland elects attorney generals in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not Presidential election years. For Maryland, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 are all attorney general election years.

Vacancies

The state Constitution addresses vacancies in the office of attorney general in Article V, Section 5.

In case of vacancy in the office of Attorney General, occasioned by death, resignation, removal from the State, or from office, or other disqualification, the Governor shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy for the residue of the term.

Duties

The attorney general has general charge, supervision and direction of the legal business of the state. He or she is the legal advisor and representative of the governor, the General Assembly, the Judiciary, and the major departments, various boards, commissions, officials and institutions of state government. The office further represents the state in all cases pending in the Appellate Courts of the state, and in the United States Supreme Court and lower Federal Courts.

Campaign finance

Main article: Campaign finance requirements for Maryland ballot measures

The Attorney General of Maryland is responsible for prosecuting criminal violations of Maryland's campaign finance laws. All civil violations are prosecuted by the local prosecuting attorney. If someone feels a person or committee violated Maryland's campaign finance laws, the first step is to file a complaint with the Maryland State Board of Elections. It is up to the Commissioner of the State Board of Elections to investigate the complaint before referring it to the Attorney General or the local prosecuting attorney.

Compensation

In 2010, the Maryland Attorney General was paid an estimated $125,000 according to the Council of State Governments.

Contact information

Office of the Attorney General
200 Saint Paul Place
Baltimore, MD 21202

Phone: 410-576-6300
Toll Free Phone: 1-888-743-0023
E-mail: oag@oag.state.md.us

See also

• Doug Gansler, Attorney General of Maryland
• Governor of Maryland
• Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
• Maryland Secretary of State

External links

Suggest a link

• Office of the Maryland Attorney General