Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Attorney General of New York
| New York Attorney General | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $220,000 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $349,803,000 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | New York Constitution, Article V, Section I |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
Attorney General of New York
Letitia James | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Other New York Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Comptroller • Commissioner of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Financial Services Superintendent • Environmental Conservation Commissioner•Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission • Insurance | |
The Attorney General of New York is the state's chief legal officer and heads the New York State Department of Law. According to the office's official website, the attorney general "not only advises the Executive branch of State government, but also defends actions and proceedings on behalf of the State."[1] The attorney general is elected in the midterm elections and serves four-year terms.
New York has a Democratic triplex. The Democratic Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
Current officeholder
The current Attorney General of New York is Letitia James (D). James assumed office in 2019.
Authority
The New York Constitution addresses the office of attorney general in Article V, Officers and Civil Departments.
Under Article V, Section I:
|
The comptroller and attorney-general shall be chosen at the same general election as the governor and hold office for the same term, and shall possess the qualifications provided in section 2 of article IV...[2] |
Qualifications
Under state law, in order to be considered for the office of attorney general, a person must be:
- at least 30 years old
- a resident of New York for at least five years next preceding the election[2]
Elections
New York elects attorneys general in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not presidential election years. For New York, 2018, 2022, 2026, 2030 and 2034 are all attorney general election years.[2]
2022
- See also: New York Attorney General election, 2022
General election
General election for Attorney General of New York
Incumbent Letitia James defeated Michael Henry in the general election for Attorney General of New York on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Letitia James (D / Working Families Party) | 54.6 | 3,168,256 |
 | Michael Henry (R / Conservative Party) | 45.3 | 2,631,301 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 3,073 | ||
| Total votes: 5,802,630 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Sean Hayes (L)
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Letitia James advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of New York.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Zephyr Teachout (D)
- Daniel Goldman (D)
- Clyde Vanel (D)
- Shelley Mayer (D)
- Maria Vullo (D)
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Michael Henry advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of New York.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- John Sarcone III (R)
- Joseph Holland (R)
Conservative Party primary election
The Conservative Party primary election was canceled. Michael Henry advanced from the Conservative Party primary for Attorney General of New York.
Working Families Party primary election
The Working Families Party primary election was canceled. Incumbent Letitia James advanced from the Working Families Party primary for Attorney General of New York.
Past elections
Vacancies
As set out in Article V of the New York Constitution, vacancies in the office will be filled by the legislature.[2]
Duties
The attorney general's official website calls the officer "People's Lawyer" and the state's chief legal officer. Duties included on this resource include:[3]
| “ |
|
” |
Divisions
As of January 13, 2021, the attorney general's legal functions are divided into five major divisions:
- Appeals and Opinions
- State Counsel
- Criminal Justice
- Economic Justice
- Social Justice[3]
State budget
- See also: New York state budget and finances
The budget for the New York State Department of Law for the Fiscal Year 2025 was $349,803,000.[5]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
The salary of the attorney general is determined by the New York State Legislature. Executive Law §60 of the New York State Consolidated Laws states the following:[6]
| Text of Executive Law §60
There shall continue to be in the state government a department of law. The head of the department of law shall be the attorney-general who shall receive an annual salary of one hundred fifty-one thousand five hundred dollars. |
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $220,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $220,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2021
In 2021, the attorney general received a salary of $210,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2020
In 2020, the attorney general received a salary of $210,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2019
In 2019, the attorney general received a salary of $151,500, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2018
In 2018, the attorney general received a salary of $151,500, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2017
In 2017, the attorney general received a salary of $151,500, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2016
In 2016, the attorney general received a salary of $151,500, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2015
In 2015, the attorney general received a salary of $151,500, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2014
In 2014, the attorney general was paid an estimated $151,500 according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2013
In 2013, the attorney general was paid an estimated $151,500 according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
Historical officeholders
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Attorney General of New York has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms New York Attorney General. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
State Office Building
44 Hawley Street, 17th Floor
Binghamton, NY 13901-4433
Phone: 607-721-8771
Toll Free Phone: 800-788-9898
Fax: 607-721-8789
See also
| New York | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ New York State Office of the Attorney General, "Our Office," accessed January 11, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 New York State Department of State, "New York State Constitution," accessed January 11, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 New York Attorney General, "Our Office," accessed January 11, 2021
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ New York State Division of the Budget, "Fiscal Year 2025 Enacted Budget Financial Plan," accessed January 22, 2025
- ↑ New York State Legislature, "Executive Law §60," accessed January 11, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 21, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 11, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 11, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 11, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 11, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 3, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," January 27, 2014
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
