Attorney General of Delaware

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Attorney General of Delaware
Seal of the Attorney General of Delaware.jpg
Kathy Jennings CFPB.png
Incumbent
Kathy Jennings
since January 1, 2019
Residence Wilmington, Delaware
Term length Four years, no term limits
Inaugural holder Gunning Bedford Jr.
February 1, 1783
Succession Third
Website Delaware Department of Justice - Attorney General Office

The attorney general of Delaware is a constitutional officer of the U.S. state of Delaware, and is the chief law officer and the head of the State Department of Justice. On January 1, 2019, Kathy Jennings was sworn in as the 46th attorney general of Delaware. [1]

Contents

Description of the office

The attorney general is elected to a four-year term in the "off-year" state election along with the state treasurer and state auditor, two years before/after the election of the governor. The attorney general, the state treasurer, state auditor, and state insurance commissioner offices are intended to serve as restraints to the governor's exclusive executive authority. The attorney general office existed in various forms prior to the ratification of the Delaware Constitution of 1776, which continued the existing colonial tradition of granting the governor the power to appoint the attorney general for a five-year tenure. With the ratification of the Delaware Constitution of 1897, the post was converted to its present four-year elected form, also establishing the attorney general as third in line of succession to the office of governor, after the lieutenant governor and secretary of state.

Officeholders

Gunning Bedford Jr. was the first holder of the office after American independence. The office was held from 2007 to 2015 by Beau Biden, who was elected in 2006 and took office on January 2, 2007. He was a Democrat and the eldest son of 46th U.S. President and longest-serving U.S. Senator from Delaware Joe Biden.

#ImageNameTerm of officePolitical party
1 Gunning bedford jr.jpg Gunning Bedford Jr. 1778–1790
2 Nicholas Ridgely 1790–1801
3 NicholasVanDyke (cropped).png Nicholas Van Dyke 1801–1806Federalist
4 Outerbridge Horsey 1806–1810Federalist
5 Thomas Clayton US.jpg Thomas Clayton 1810–1815Federalist
6 James Rogers 1815–1830
7 Robert Frame 1830–1835
8 James Rogers 1835–1840
9 Edward W. Gilpin 1840–1850
10 Willard Saulsbury, Sr. - Brady-Handy.jpg Willard Saulsbury Sr. 1850–1855Democratic
11 Hon. George P. Fisher, Del - NARA - 526255.jpg George P. Fisher 1855–1860Unionist
12 Alfred Wooten 1860–1864
13 Jacob Moore 1864–1869Republican
14 Charles B. Lore (Delaware Congressman).jpg Charles B. Lore 1869–1874Democratic
15 John B. Penington (Delaware Congressman).jpg John B. Penington 1874–1879Democratic
16 Senator-elect George Gray - Leslie.png George Gray 1879–1885Democratic
17John Henry Paynter [2] 1885–1887
18 John Biggs 1887–1892
19 John R. Nicholson 1892–1895
20 Robert C. White 1895–1901
21 Herbert H. Ward 1901–1905
22 Robert H. Richards 1905–1909
23 Andrew C. Gray 1909–1913
24 WOLCOTT, J., SENATOR LCCN2016860177 (cropped).jpg Josiah O. Wolcott 1913–1917Democratic
25 David J. Reinhardt 1917–1921
26 Sylvester D. Townsend Jr. 1921–1925
27 Clarence A. Southerland 1925–1929Republican[ citation needed ]
28 Reuben Satterthwaite Jr. 1929–1933
29 Daniel J. Layton 1933Republican
30 P. Warren Green 1933–1939
31 James R. Morford 1939–1943
32 Clair J. Killoran 1943–1947
33 Albert W. James 1947–1951
34 H. Albert Young 1951–1955
35 Joseph D. Craven 1955–1959Democratic
36 Januar D. Bove Jr. 1959–1963Republican
37 David Buckson (1969).png David P. Buckson 1963–1971Republican
38 W. Laird Stabler Jr. 1971–1975Republican
39 Richard R. Wier Jr. 1975–1979Democratic
40 RSGebelein1.jpg Richard S. Gebelein 1979–1983Republican
41 Charles Oberly US Attorney.JPG Charles Oberly 1983–1995Democratic
42 M. Jane Brady 1995–2005Republican
43 Brigadier General Carl C. Danberg.jpg Carl C. Danberg 2005–2007Democratic
44 BeauBiden-DOJ2013 (cropped).jpg Beau Biden 2007–2015Democratic
45 DennM (cropped).JPG Matthew Denn 2015–2019Democratic
46 Kathy Jennings CFPB.png Kathy Jennings 2019–presentDemocratic

See also

Sources

  1. ↑ "Jennings, McGuiness, Davis sworn in to new elected positions". WDEL 101.7 FM. January 1, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  2. ↑ "DelMar History: JUDGE JOHN HENRY PAYNTER OF SUSSEX DELAWARE". April 15, 2017.

References

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