Attorney General of Wisconsin


The Attorney General of Wisconsin is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Forty-five individuals have held the office of Attorney General since statehood. The incumbent is Josh Kaul, a Democrat.

Election and term of office

The Attorney General is elected on Election Day in November, and takes office on the first Monday of the next January. There is no limit to the number of terms an Attorney General may hold. From 1848 to 1968, the Attorney General was elected to a two-year term in the November general election. Since 1970, following ratification of a constitutional amendment in April 1967, the Attorney General has been elected to a four-year term.
In the event of a vacancy in the office of the Attorney General, the Governor of Wisconsin may appoint a replacement to fill the remainder of the term. The Attorney General may be removed from office through an impeachment trial. They may also choose to resign from office.

Powers and duties

The Attorney General is the chief law officer of the state of Wisconsin, and amongst other duties has charge and conduct for the state of all suits instituted for and against the government thereof, certifies all bonds issued by the state, protects the School Trust Funds managed by the Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, and provides written opinions on questions of law to either house of the Wisconsin Legislature or the head of any state agency. By virtue of office, the Attorney General directs and supervises the Wisconsin Department of Justice. In accordance of Article X, Section 7 of the Wisconsin State Constitution, the Attorney General is a member of the Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands; the same is also a member of, or designates members to, the Claims Board, Crime Victims Rights Board, Law Enforcement Standards Board, and the Board of Directors of the Insurance Security Fund.

List of Attorneys General of Wisconsin

This is a list of attorneys general for Wisconsin, from before statehood to present.
PartyAttorneys
Republican28
Democratic16
Progressive1

Attorneys General of the Wisconsin Territory

Before statehood, the Wisconsin Territory also had several attorneys general appointed by the governor of the territory.
NameTook officeLeft officeTerritorial governor
Henry S. Baird18361839Henry Dodge
Horatio N. Wells18391841Henry Dodge
Mortimer M. Jackson18421844James Doty
William Pitt Lynde18441845Nathaniel P. Tallmadge
Mortimer M. Jackson18451846Henry Dodge
A. Hyatt Smith18461848Henry Dodge

Attorneys General of the State of Wisconsin

General