Jump to content

Minnesota Attorney General

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Attorney General of Minnesota
Incumbent
Keith Ellison
since January 7, 2019
Style
Member ofExecutive Council, among others
SeatMinnesota State Capitol
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Appointer
  • General election
Term length
  • Four years, no term limits
Constituting instrument
Minnesota Constitution of 1858, Article V
Inaugural holderCharles H. Berry
FormationMay 11, 1858
(168 years ago) (May 11, 1858)
SuccessionSixth
Salary$190,000[1]
WebsiteOfficial page

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 Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party member.

Election and term of office

[edit]

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 a 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

[edit]

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 their 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

[edit]

Minnesota Territory

[edit]
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

[edit]
No.ImageNameTerm of officePolitical partyElectionLaw school
1Charles H. Berry1858–1860Republican1857Read law
2Gordon E. Cole1860–1866Republican1859
1861
1863 		Harvard Law School
3William J. Colvill1866–1868Union Democrat1865Read law under Millard Fillmore
4Francis R. E. Cornell1868–1874Republican1867
1869
1871		Read law
5George P. Wilson1874–1880Republican1873
1875
1877		Read law
6Charles M. Start1880–1881Republican1879Read law under William C. Wilson
7William John Hahn1881–1887Republican1881
1883		Read law
8Moses E. Clapp1887–1893Republican1886
1888
1890		University of Wisconsin Law School
9Henry W. Childs1893–1899Republican1892
1894
1896		Read law
10Wallace B. Douglas1899–1904Republican1898
1900
1902		University of Michigan Law School
11William J. Donahower1904–1905RepublicanRead law
12Edward T. Young1905–1909Republican1904
1906		University of Minnesota Law School
13George T. Simpson1909–1912Republican1908
1910		Read law
14Lyndon A. Smith1912–1918Republican1912
1914
1916		Georgetown University Law Center
15Clifford L. Hilton1918–1927Republican1918
1920
1922
1924
1926		University of Wisconsin Law School
16Albert F. Pratt1927–1928RepublicanUniversity of Minnesota Law School
17G. Aaron Youngquist1928–1929Republican1928St. Paul College of Law
18Henry N. Benson1929–1933Republican1930University of Minnesota Law School
19Harry H. Peterson1933–1936Farmer-Labor1932
1934
1936		University of Minnesota Law School
20William S. Ervin1936–1939Farmer-LaborUniversity of Minnesota Law School
21Joseph A. A. Burnquist1939–1955Republican1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952		University of Minnesota Law School
22Miles Lord1955–1960DFL1954
1956
1958		University of Minnesota Law School
23Walter Mondale1960–1964DFL1960
1962		University of Minnesota Law School
24Robert W. Mattson Sr.1964–1967DFLUniversity of Minnesota Law School
25Douglas M. Head1967–1971Republican1966University of Minnesota Law School
26Warren Spannaus1971–1983DFL1970
1974
1978		University of Minnesota Law School
27Skip Humphrey1983–1999DFL1982
1986
1990
1994		University of Minnesota Law School
28Mike Hatch1999–2007DFL1998
2002		University of Minnesota Law School
29Lori Swanson2007–2019DFL2006
2010
2014		William Mitchell College of Law
30Keith Ellison2019–presentDFL2018
2022		University of Minnesota Law School

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Minnesota Compensation Council (2026). Compensation Council Recommendations and Prescribed Salaries for FY 2025 & 2026 (PDF) (Report). Legislative Coordinating Commission. p. 10. Retrieved July 1, 2026.
  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 November 24, 2022.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minnesota_Attorney_General&oldid=1373917135"