Attorney General
From Ballotpedia
The State Attorney General is an executive office in all 50 states that serves as the chief legal advisor to the state government and the chief law enforcement officer in the various states. In some states, the Attorney General serves as the head of the state's Department of Justice with responsibilities similar to that of the United States Department of Justice. Most attorneys general are elected state-wide, but in a few states the selection is made by the Governor, the state legislature, or the state supreme court.
In the 27 states with initiative or referendum rights for their citizens, the attorney general often has specific statutory responsibilities with regard to initiatives and ballot measures, which often--but not always--includes determining the ballot title that will appear in official voter information pamphlets and on ballots.
Party composition
The current party breakdown of the Attorney Generals based on whether they are elected (either by the general public or the state legislature) or appointed (by the governor of an individual state) shows that:
- Of the 45 elected to office, 29 are Democrat and 16 are Republican
- Governors in four of the 50 states appoint their Attorney Generals
- Two are Democrats. These states are New Jersey and Wyoming.
- Two are Republican. These states are Alaska and Hawaii.
- In one of the 50 states with Attorney Generals, Maine, the office holder is elected by the state legislature.
List
List of attorney generals in U.S. states:
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