Attorney General of Minnesota

The attorney general of Minnesota is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Thirty individuals have held the office of Attorney General since statehood. The incumbent is Keith Ellison, a DFLer.

Attorney General of Minnesota
Incumbent
Keith Ellison
since January 7, 2019
Style
Member ofExecutive Council, among others
SeatMinnesota State Capitol
Saint Paul, Minnesota
AppointerGeneral election
Term lengthFour years, no term limits
Constituting instrumentMinnesota Constitution of 1858, Article V
Inaugural holderCharles H. Berry
FormationMay 11, 1858 (May 11, 1858)
Salary$121,248[1]
WebsiteOfficial page

Election and term of office

The attorney general is elected by the people 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. To be elected attorney general, a person must be qualified voter, permanently resident in the state of Minnesota at least 30 days prior to the election, and at least 21 years of age.[2]

In the event of a vacancy in the office of the attorney general, the Governor may appoint a successor to serve the balance of the term.[3] The attorney general may also be recalled by the voters or removed from office through an impeachment trial.[4]

Powers and duties

The attorney general is the chief law officer for the state of Minnesota, and as such, represents the state of Minnesota parens patriae in both state and federal court as well as in administrative proceedings, such as matters of adjudication or rulemaking. In addition, the Office of the Attorney General handles felony criminal appeals, issues formal opinions on questions of constitutional or statutory law, and provides legal advice, litigation, and appellate services to over 100 state agencies, boards, and commissions. On occasion, these services are extended to rural county prosecutors in serious felonies and criminal prosecutions. Separately, the attorney general's office enforces state antitrust and consumer protection laws, regulates charities, and advocates for residents and small businesses in utility matters.[5]

In addition to his or her functional responsibilities, the attorney general is an ex officio member of the Board of Pardons, the Executive Council, the Land Exchange Board, the Governing Board for the Minnesota Historical Society, the Records Disposition Panel, and the State Board of Investment.[6][7][8][9][10][11]

List of attorneys general

Minnesota Territory
Image Name Took office Left office Political Party
Lorenzo A. Babcock 1849 1853 Whig[12]
LaFayette Emmett 1853 1858 Democratic[13]

In 1886, elections were moved from odd years to even years. Beginning with the 1962 election, the term of the office increased from two to four years.

Parties

   DFL (8)   Republican (19)   Farmer-Labor (2)    Union Democrat (1)

State of Minnesota
Politics of Minnesota
Constitution
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Elections
Subdivisions
Congressional delegation
No.ImageNameTerm of officePolitical partyLaw school
1Charles H. Berry1858–1860RepublicanRead law
2Gordon E. Cole1860–1866RepublicanHarvard Law School
3William J. Colvill1866–1868Union DemocratRead law under Millard Fillmore
4Francis R. E. Cornell1868–1874RepublicanRead law
5George P. Wilson1874–1880RepublicanRead law
6Charles M. Start1880–1881RepublicanRead law under William C. Wilson
7William John Hahn1881–1887RepublicanRead law
8Moses E. Clapp1887–1893RepublicanUniversity of Wisconsin Law School
9Henry W. Childs1893–1899RepublicanRead law
10Wallace B. Douglas1899–1904RepublicanUniversity of Michigan Law School
11William J. Donahower1904–1905RepublicanRead law
12Edward T. Young1905–1909RepublicanUniversity of Minnesota Law School
13George T. Simpson1909-1912RepublicanRead law
14Lyndon A. Smith1912–1918RepublicanGeorgetown University Law Center
15Clifford L. Hilton1918–1927RepublicanUniversity of Wisconsin Law School
16Albert F. Pratt1927–1928RepublicanUniversity of Minnesota Law School
17G. Aaron Youngquist1928–1929RepublicanSt. Paul College of Law
18Henry N. Benson1929–1933RepublicanUniversity of Minnesota Law School
19Harry H. Peterson1933–1936Farmer-LaborUniversity of Minnesota Law School
20William S. Ervin1936–1939Farmer-LaborUniversity of Minnesota Law School
21Joseph A. A. Burnquist1939–1955RepublicanUniversity of Minnesota Law School
22Miles Lord1955–1960DFLUniversity of Minnesota Law School
23Walter Mondale1960–1964DFLUniversity of Minnesota Law School
24Robert W. Mattson Sr.1964–1967DFLUniversity of Minnesota Law School
25Douglas M. Head1967–1971RepublicanUniversity of Minnesota Law School
26Warren Spannaus1971–1983DFLUniversity of Minnesota Law School
27Hubert Humphrey III1983–1999DFLUniversity of Minnesota Law School
28Mike Hatch1999–2007DFLUniversity of Minnesota Law School
29Lori Swanson2007–2019DFLWilliam Mitchell College of Law
30Keith Ellison2019–presentDFLUniversity of Minnesota Law School

See also

References
  1. State Elected Officials' Compensation (PDF) (Report). Minnesota House Research Department. 2021. p. 1. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  2. "Article VII, Sections 1, 2, and 6 of the Minnesota Constitution". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  3. "Article V, Section 3 of the Minnesota Constitution". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  4. "Article VIII, Sections 1, 2, and 6". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  5. "About Our Office". Minnesota Office of the Attorney General. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  6. "Board of Pardons". Minnesota Department of Corrections. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  7. "Executive Council". Minnesota Department of Administration. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  8. "Land Exchange Board and meetings". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  9. "Leadership". Minnesota Historical Society. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  10. "Records Disposition Panel". Minnesota Historical Society. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  11. "About Us". Minnesota State Board of Investment. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  12. "The Minnesota Legislature and Its Politics, &c: Political Character of the Council". The Minnesota Democrat. St. Paul, MN. January 19, 1853. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  13. EHN, Reference Desk. "Library Research Guides: Lafayette Emmett, Chief Justice, 1858-1865: Biography". mncourts.libguides.com. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
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