John L. Sullivan (Arizona)


John L. Sullivan was an American politician who served as the Attorney General of Arizona from 1935–1937 and from 1944–1948.

Life and career

Sullivan was elected Attorney General in 1934. In 1936, he was defeated in the democratic primary by Joe Conway. After that, he unsuccessfully ran for Arizona's newly created congressional seat, but lost the democratic nomination to John R. Murdock who went on to win the election in 1942. After Conway's resignation in 1944, Sullivan won another term as Attorney General and was re-elected in 1946. He is the only person to serve non-consecutive terms as attorney general.
Sullivan was involved in attempts to legalize casinos in Arizona and was rumored to have accepted bribes from people who operated gambling houses on Route 66.
In 1936, he married Ethel M. Fisher. They had a daughter, Effie B. Fisher.
After his death in Phoenix in 1949, he was buried there at Saint Francis Cemetery.