Maine Attorney General


The Maine Attorney General is the chief legal advisor and prosecutor of the State of Maine. The constitutional basis of the office is Article IX, Section 11 of the Maine Constitution, and the holder of the position is chosen biennially by the Maine Legislature in joint session. Maine is the only state to select its attorney general in such a manner.
The powers of the Attorney General are derived from the Maine Revised Statues Annotated, Title 5, Chapter 9. These include representing the State in civil actions, investigating and prosecuting homicides, advising district attorneys, and providing written opinions on matters of law at the request of the Governor or the Legislature. The Attorney General is empowered to appoint deputy and assistant attorneys general, who serve at the Attorney General's pleasure.

List of Maine Attorneys General

No.NameTook OfficeLeft OfficeParty
1Erastus Foote18201831Democratic-Republican
2Jonathan P. Rogers18321833Democratic
3Nathan Clifford18341837Democratic
4Daniel Goodenow18381838Democratic
5Stephen Emery18391840Democratic
6Daniel Goodenow18411841Democratic
7Otis L. Bridges18421843Democratic
8Wyman B. S. Moor18441847Democratic
9Samuel H. Blake18481848Democratic
10Henry Tallman18491852Democratic
11George Evans18531854Whig
12John S. Abbott18551855Republican
13George Evans18561856Whig
14Nathan D. Appleton18571859
15G.W. Ingersoll18601860
16Josiah Hayden Drummond18601863Democratic
17John A. Peters18641866Republican
18William P. Frye18671869Republican
19Thomas Brackett Reed18701872Republican
20Harris M. Plaisted18731875Republican
21Lucilius A. Emery18761878Republican
22William H. McLellan18791879Democratic
23Henry B. Cleaves18801884Republican
24Orville D. Baker18851888Republican
25Charles E. Littlefield18891892Republican
26Frederick A. Powers18931896Republican
27William T. Haines18971900Republican
28George M. Seiders19011904Republican
29Hannibal Emery Hamlin19051908Republican
30W.C. Philbrook19091910Republican
31Cyrus R. Tupper19111911Democratic
32William Robinson Pattangall19111912Democratic
33Scott Wilson19131914Republican
34William Robinson Pattangall19151916Democratic
35Guy H. Sturgis19171920Republican
36Ransford W. Shaw19211924Republican
37Raymond Fellows19251928Republican
38Clement F. Robinson19291932Republican
39Clyde R. Chapman19331936Republican
40Franz U. Burkett19371940Republican
41Frank I. Cowan19411944Republican
42Ralph W. Farris19451950Republican
43Alexander A. LaFleur19511954Republican
44Frank F. Harding19551958Republican
45Frank E. Hancock19591964Republican
46Richard J. Dubord19651966Democratic
47James S. Erwin19671971Republican
48Jon A. Lund19721975Republican
49Joseph E. Brennan19751979Democratic
50Richard S. Cohen19791981Republican
51James E. Tierney19811991Democratic
52Michael E. Carpenter19911995Democratic
53Andrew Ketterer19952001Democratic
54G. Steven Rowe20012009Democratic
55Janet Mills20092011Democratic
56William Schneider20112013Republican
57Janet Mills20132019Democratic
58Aaron Frey2019presentDemocratic