Attorney General of Washington

Last updated

Attorney General of Washington
Defend DACA rally - Seattle - September 5, 2017 - 15 - Bob Ferguson (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Bob Ferguson
since January 16, 2013
Office of the Attorney General
Style The Honorable
Term length Four years
No limit
Constituting instrument Washington State Constitution
Formation1887

The attorney general of Washington is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of Washington and head of the Washington State Office of the Attorney General. The attorney general represents clients of the state and defends the public interest in accordance to state law. The office of the attorney general is an executive office elected by the citizens of Washington, and the officeholder serves a four-year term. [1]

Contents

Authority

The powers and responsibilities of the Washington attorney general derive from the Washington State Constitution (Const. art. III, § 1) [2] and the Revised Code of Washington (RCW 43.10). [3]

List of attorneys general of Washington

The following is a list of individuals who have served as attorney general of the U.S. state of Washington. [4] [5] The attorney general is fifth (behind the lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, and auditor, respectively) in the line of succession to the office of Governor of Washington. [6]

  Denotes acting attorney general or time served as acting attorney general
#ImageAttorney GeneralTerm of officePolitical party
1 James B. Metcalfe.jpg James B. Metcalfe 18871889 Democratic
2 Jones-William-C-1898.jpg William C. Jones 18891897 Republican
3 Patrick Henry Winston 18971901 People's Party
4 Wickliffe Stratton 19011905Republican
5 John Atkinson 19051909Republican
6 Walter Bell 19091911Republican
7 William V. Tanner 19111912Republican
19121919
8 L.L. Thompson 19191920Republican
19201923
9 John Dunbar 19231925Republican
19251933
10 Garrison Hamilton 19331940 Democratic
11 Smith Troy 19411944Democratic
19441952
12 Don Eastvold 19531956Republican
13 John J. O'Connell (cropped).jpg John J. O'Connell 19571969Democratic
14 Slade Gorton.jpg Slade Gorton 19691981Republican
15 Ken Eikenberry.jpg Ken Eikenberry 19811993Republican
16 ChristineGregoireOfficial (cropped).jpg Christine Gregoire 19932005Democratic
17 Rob McKenna; Washington AG (cropped).jpg Rob McKenna 20052013Republican
18 Defend DACA rally - Seattle - September 5, 2017 - 15 - Bob Ferguson (cropped).jpg Bob Ferguson 2013presentDemocratic

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Maryland</span> State government of the United States

The government of Maryland is conducted according to the Maryland Constitution. The United States is a federation; consequently, the government of Maryland, like the other 49 state governments, has exclusive authority over matters that lie entirely within the state's borders, except as limited by the Constitution of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attorney General of Maryland</span> Attorney general for Maryland, U.S.

The Attorney General of the State of Maryland is the chief legal officer of the State of Maryland in the United States and is elected by the people every four years with no term limits. To run for the office a person must be a citizen of and qualified voter in Maryland and must have lived and practiced law in the state for at least ten years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attorney General of Minnesota</span> Attorney general for the U.S. state 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attorney General of California</span> Head of the California Department of Justice

The attorney general of California is the state attorney general of the Government of California. The officer's duty is to ensure that "the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced". The California attorney general carries out the responsibilities of the office through the California Department of Justice. The department employs over 1,100 attorneys and 3,700 non-attorney employees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secretary of state (U.S. state government)</span> Official in the state governments of the United States

The secretary of state is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and other U.S. possessions. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, this official is called the secretary of the commonwealth. In states that have one, the secretary of state is the chief administrative officer of the state and is often the primary custodian of important state records. In the states of Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah, there is no secretary of state; in those states many duties that a secretary of state might normally execute fall within the domain of the lieutenant governor. Like the lieutenant governor, in most states, the secretary of state is in the line of succession to succeed the governor, in most cases immediately behind the lieutenant governor. In three states with no lieutenant governor as well as the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, the secretary of state is first in the line of succession in the event of a gubernatorial vacancy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey</span> Elected official in the U.S. state of New Jersey

The lieutenant governor of New Jersey is an elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of the state government of New Jersey in the United States. The lieutenant governor is the second highest-ranking official in the state government and is elected concurrently on a ticket with the governor for a four-year term. The position itself does not carry any powers or duties other than to be next in the order of succession, but the state constitution requires that the lieutenant governor also be appointed to serve as the head of a cabinet-level department or administrative agency within the governor's administration, other than the position of Attorney General.

The attorney general of New Hampshire is a constitutional officer of the U.S. state of New Hampshire who serves as head of the New Hampshire Department of Justice. As of April 22, 2021, the state's attorney general is John Formella.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona Attorney General</span> Attorney general of the U.S. state of Arizona

The Arizona attorney general is the chief legal officer of the State of Arizona, in the United States. This state officer is the head of the Arizona Department of Law, more commonly known as the Arizona Attorney General's Office. The state attorney general is a constitutionally-established officer, elected by the people of the state to a four-year term. The state attorney general is second in the line of succession to the office of Governor of Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attorney General of Oklahoma</span> Attorney general for the U.S. state of Oklahoma

The attorney general of Oklahoma is the State Attorney General for the state of Oklahoma. The attorney general serves as the chief legal and law enforcement officer of the State of Oklahoma and head of the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General. The attorney general is responsible for providing legal advice to the other departments and agencies of the executive branch, legislative branch and judicial branch of the state government. The attorney general is also responsible for the prosecution of offenses against Oklahoma law and advocate for the basic legal rights of Oklahoma residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Texas</span> Government of the U.S. state of Texas

The government of Texas operates under the Constitution of Texas and consists of a unitary democratic state government operating under a presidential system that uses the Dillon Rule, as well as governments at the county and municipal levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State attorney general</span> Chief law enforcement official in a U.S. state or territory

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.

In the United States, term limits restrict the number of terms of office an officeholder may serve. At the federal level, the president of the United States can serve a maximum of two four-year terms, limited by the 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution. Some state government offices are also term-limited, including executive, legislative, and judicial offices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attorney General of Delaware</span> Head of the Delaware Department of Justice

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of New Jersey</span> Overview of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey

The government of the State of New Jersey is separated into three distinct branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The powers of the State of New Jersey are vested by the Constitution of New Jersey, enacted in 1947, in a bicameral state legislature, the Governor, and the state courts, headed the New Jersey Supreme Court. The powers and duties of these branches are further defined by acts of the state legislature, including the creation of executive departments and courts inferior to the Supreme Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Attorney General</span> Elected government official of the state of Texas

The Texas attorney general is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of Texas. The current officeholder, Republican Angela Colmenero, has been appointed to the position on July 10, 2023 by Governor Greg Abbott. She serves instead of Ken Paxton, who has been impeached and suspended without salary while awaiting trial in the Texas Senate.

The Maine Attorney General is the chief legal advisor and prosecutor of the State of Maine. The constitutional basis of the office is Article IX, Section 11 of the Maine Constitution, and the holder of the position is chosen biennially by the Maine Legislature in joint session. Maine is the only state to select its attorney general in such a manner; in 2023 a group of state Republicans called for the Attorney General to be selected by popular vote, though no action was taken on the proposal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lieutenant governor (United States)</span> State government official, typically second highest officer after the governor

A lieutenant governor is an official in state governments of 45 out of 50 of the United States. In most cases, the lieutenant governor is the highest officer of state after the governor, standing in for that officer when they are absent from the state or temporarily incapacitated. In the event a governor dies, resigns or is removed from office, the lieutenant governor typically becomes governor.

The government of Washington State is the governmental structure of the State of Washington, United States, as established by the Constitution of the State of Washington. The executive is composed of the Governor, several other statewide elected officials and the Governor's cabinet. The Washington State Legislature consists of the House of Representatives and State Senate. The judiciary is composed of the Washington Supreme Court and lower courts. There is also local government, consisting of counties, municipalities and special districts.

The law of Washington consists of several levels, including constitutional, statutory, regulatory and case law, as well as local ordinances. The Revised Code of Washington forms the general statutory law.

The following is the planned order of succession for the governorships of the 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and the five organized territories of the United States, according to the constitutions of each. Some states make a distinction whether the succeeding individual is acting as governor or becomes governor.

References

  1. "Office Information". Washington State Office of the Attorney General. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  2. "Code Reviser Washington State Constitution". Washington State Legislature. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  3. "Chapter 43.10: Attorney General". Revised Code of Washington . Washington State Legislature. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  4. Bowers, Todd; Scott, Drew; Scharber, Maureen (2006). "Historical Highlights: Office of the Washington State Attorney General". Office of the Washington State Attorney General. Archived from the original on April 25, 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  5. Washington State Yearbook: The Evergreen State Government Directory. Olympia, WA: Washington Roll Call. 2017.
  6. "Washington State Constitution". Washington State Legislature . Retrieved August 23, 2019.