Attorney General of Minnesota

Last updated
Attorney General of Minnesota
Keith Ellison portrait (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Keith Ellison
since January 7, 2019
Style
  • Mister or Madam Attorney General
    (informal)
  • The Honorable
    (formal)
Member of Executive Council, among others
Seat Minnesota State Capitol
Saint Paul, Minnesota
AppointerGeneral election
Term length Four years, no term limits
Constituting instrument Minnesota Constitution of 1858, Article V
Inaugural holder Charles H. Berry
FormationMay 11, 1858
(165 years ago) (May 11, 1858)
Salary $121,248 [1]
Website Official 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 DFLer.

Contents

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

ImageNameTook officeLeft officePolitical Party
Lorenzo A. Babcock 18491853 Whig [12]
LafayetteEmmett.jpg LaFayette Emmett 18531858 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

No.ImageNameTerm of officePolitical partyLaw school
1 CharlesHBerry1885.jpg Charles H. Berry 1858–1860RepublicanRead law
2 GordonECole1860.jpg Gordon E. Cole 1860–1866Republican Harvard Law School
3 William Colvill.jpg William J. Colvill 1866–1868Union DemocratRead law under Millard Fillmore
4 FrancesRECornell.jpg Francis R. E. Cornell 1868–1874RepublicanRead law
5 George P. Wilson 1874–1880RepublicanRead law
6 Charles M. Start (Minnesota Supreme Court).PNG Charles M. Start 1880–1881RepublicanRead law under William C. Wilson
7 William John Hahn 1881–1887RepublicanRead law
8 MosesClapp.jpg Moses E. Clapp 1887–1893Republican University of Wisconsin Law School
9Henry W. Childs1893–1899RepublicanRead law
10 Wallace B. Douglas (Minnesota Supreme Court).PNG Wallace B. Douglas 1899–1904Republican University of Michigan Law School
11William J. Donahower1904–1905RepublicanRead law
12 Edward T. Young 1905–1909Republican University of Minnesota Law School
13George T. Simpson1909-1912RepublicanRead law
14 LyndonAmbroseSmith.jpg Lyndon A. Smith 1912–1918Republican Georgetown University Law Center
15 Clifford L. Hilton (Minnesota Supreme Court).PNG Clifford L. Hilton 1918–1927Republican University of Wisconsin Law School
16 Albert F. Pratt (cropped).jpg Albert F. Pratt 1927–1928Republican University of Minnesota Law School
17 G.A. Youngquist (cropped).jpg G. Aaron Youngquist 1928–1929Republican St. Paul College of Law
18 Henry N. Benson (cropped).jpg Henry N. Benson 1929–1933Republican University of Minnesota Law School
19 Harry H. Peterson 1933–1936Farmer-Labor University of Minnesota Law School
20 William S. Ervin 1936–1939Farmer-Labor University of Minnesota Law School
21 JosephAABurnquist.jpg Joseph A. A. Burnquist 1939–1955Republican University of Minnesota Law School
22 Miles Lord - Federal Portrait.jpg Miles Lord 1955–1960DFL University of Minnesota Law School
23 Mondale as Senator.jpg Walter Mondale 1960–1964DFL University of Minnesota Law School
24 Robert W. Mattson Sr.png Robert W. Mattson Sr. 1964–1967DFL University of Minnesota Law School
25 Douglas M. Head.jpg Douglas M. Head 1967–1971Republican University of Minnesota Law School
26 Warren Spannaus.png Warren Spannaus 1971–1983DFL University of Minnesota Law School
27 Hubert Humphrey III (cropped).jpg Hubert Humphrey III 1983–1999DFL University of Minnesota Law School
28 MikeHatchMinnesota2006-08-21 crop.jpg Mike Hatch 1999–2007DFL University of Minnesota Law School
29 Lori Swanson 2013.jpg Lori Swanson 2007–2019DFL William Mitchell College of Law
30 Keith Ellison portrait (cropped).jpg Keith Ellison 2019–presentDFL University of Minnesota Law School

See also

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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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