State attorney general


The state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states, of the federal district, or of any of the territories is the chief legal advisor to the state government and the state's chief law enforcement officer. In some states, the attorney general serves as the head of a state department of justice, with responsibilities similar to those of the United States Department of Justice.

Selection

The most prevalent method of selecting a state's attorney general is by popular election. 43 states have an elected attorney general. Elected attorneys general serve a four-year term, except in Vermont, where the term is two years.
Seven states do not popularly elect an attorney general. In Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Wyoming, the attorney general is a gubernatorial appointee. The attorney general in Tennessee is appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court for an eight-year term. In Maine, the attorney general is elected by the state Legislature for a two-year term.
The District of Columbia and two U.S. territories, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, elect their attorneys general for a four-year term. 2014 marked the first year that the District of Columbia and Northern Mariana Islands held an election for the office. In American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the attorney general is appointed by the governor. In Puerto Rico, the attorney general is officially called the secretary of justice, but is commonly known as the Puerto Rico attorney general.
Many states have passed term limits limiting the selection to 2 consecutive terms ; 2 terms maximum, but 33 states still have no term limits.

Defense of the state in federal lawsuits

State attorneys general enforce both state and federal laws. Because they are sworn to uphold the United States' constitution and laws as well as the state's, they often decline to defend the state in federal lawsuits.

Current attorneys general

The current party composition of the state attorneys general is:
The composition for the District of Columbia and the 5 populated territories is:
Rows of the Attorney General table below are color coded indicating the political party of the office holder.
OfficeholderStatePartyAssumed officeTerm expiresLaw schoolTerm limits
Steve MarshallAlabamaRepublican10 2 20172023 University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa2 consecutive terms
AlaskaRepublican5 12 2018AppointedWillamette Universityno term limits

Acting		American Samoa19 2 2020AppointedBrigham Young University
ArizonaRepublican5 1 20152023 University of San Diego2 consecutive terms
ArkansasRepublican13 1 20152023 University of Arkansas, Little Rock
CaliforniaDemocratic24 1 20172023Stanford University2 terms maximum
ColoradoDemocratic8 1 20192023New York University2 consecutive terms
ConnecticutDemocratic9 1 20192023University of Chicagono term limits
DelawareDemocratic1 1 20192023Villanova Universityno term limits
District of ColumbiaDemocratic2 1 20152023University of Virginia
FloridaRepublican9 1 20192023University of Florida
Stetson University 		2 consecutive terms
GeorgiaRepublican1 11 20162023University of Georgiano term limits
GuamIndependent7 1 20192023Boston University
HawaiiDemocratic3 1 2019AppointedHarvard Universityno term limits
IdahoRepublican6 1 20032023University of Idaho, Moscowno term limits
IllinoisDemocratic14 1 20192023Illinois Institute of Technologyno term limits
IndianaRepublican9 1 20172021Indiana University, Bloomingtonno term limits
IowaDemocratic6 1 19952023Harvard Universityno term limits
KansasRepublican10 1 20112023Georgetown Universityno term limits
KentuckyRepublican17 12 20192024University of Louisville2 consecutive terms
LouisianaRepublican11 1 20162024Loyola University, New Orleansno term limits
MaineDemocratic2 1 20192023 Roger Williams University4 two year terms
MarylandDemocratic6 1 20152023Columbia Universityno term limits
MassachusettsDemocratic21 1 20152023Northeastern Universityno term limits
MichiganDemocratic1 1 20192023Wayne State University2 terms max
MinnesotaDemocratic7 1 20192023University of Minnesota, Twin Citiesno term limits
MississippiRepublican9 1 20202024University of Mississippi, Oxfordno term limits
MissouriRepublican3 1 20192021Saint Louis Universityno term limits
MontanaRepublican7 1 20132021 University of Montana2 terms in 16 year period
NebraskaRepublican8 1 20152023Pepperdine Universityno term limits
NevadaDemocratic7 1 20192023Ohio State University, Columbus2 terms max
New HampshireRepublican13 4 20172021 Cornell Universityno term limits
New JerseyDemocratic16 1 2018AppointedCollege of William and Maryno term limits
New MexicoDemocratic1 1 20152023 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque2 consecutive terms
New YorkDemocratic1 1 20192023Howard Universityno term limits
North CarolinaDemocratic1 1 20172021Harvard Universityno term limits
North DakotaRepublican15 12 20002023University of North Dakotano term limits
Northern Mariana IslandsDemocratic13 1 20152023Gonzaga University
OhioRepublican14 1 20192023Capital University2 consecutive terms
OklahomaRepublican20 2 20172023University of Oklahoma2 terms max
OregonDemocratic29 6 20122021University of Oregonno term limits
PennsylvaniaDemocratic17 1 20172021Georgetown University2 consecutive terms
Puerto RicoNew Progressive Party18 8 20192021 George Washington University
Rhode IslandDemocratic1 1 20192023Boston College2 consecutive terms
South CarolinaRepublican12 1 20112023University of South Carolina, Columbiano term limits
South DakotaRepublican5 1 20192023University of South Dakota, Vermillion2 consecutive terms
TennesseeRepublican1 10 20142022 University of Tennessee, Knoxvilleno term limits
TexasRepublican5 1 20152023University of Virginiano term limits
U.S. Virgin IslandsIndependent14 05 2019AppointedHoward University
UtahRepublican30 12 20132021University of California, Berkeleyno term limits
VermontDemocratic5 1 20172021Suffolk Universityno term limits
VirginiaDemocratic11 1 20142022 University of Richmondno term limits
WashingtonDemocratic16 1 20132021New York Universityno term limits
West VirginiaRepublican14 1 20132021Rutgers University, Newarkno term limits
WisconsinDemocratic7 1 20192023Stanford Universityno term limits
WyomingRepublican7 1 2019AppointedUniversity of Wyomingno term limits