Massachusetts Attorney General

Last updated
Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Seal of Massachusetts.svg
Seal of Massachusetts
AJC Headshot (3x4).jpg
Incumbent
Andrea Campbell
since January 18, 2023
Government of Massachusetts
Style The Honorable
Type Chief legal officer
Constitutional officer
Residence None official
Seat One Ashburton Place, Boston, Massachusetts
Nominator Nominating petition,
Political parties
Appointer Popular vote
Term length 4 years, no limit
Constituting instrument Constitution of Massachusetts
Formation1702;323 years ago (1702)
First holder Paul Dudley
Succession Third
Website www.mass.gov/ago

The Massachusetts attorney general is an elected constitutionally defined executive officer of the Massachusetts government. The officeholder is the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The officeholder also acts as an advocate and resource for the Commonwealth and its residents in many areas, including consumer protection, combating fraud and corruption, protecting civil rights, and maintaining economic competition. The current attorney general is Andrea Campbell.

Contents

Qualifications

Any person seeking to become the attorney general of Massachusetts must meet the following requirements: [1]

History

When the 1780 state constitution was first enacted, the attorney general was appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the Governor's Council. The office was abolished in 1843 and re-established in 1849. In 1855 the constitution was amended so that the attorney general (along with a number of other constitutionally enumerated offices) was elected by the people. The length of the term of office has matched that of the governor, and elections are held concurrently with those for other constitutional office. Elections were first held annually, became biennial (every two years) in 1920, and quadrennial (every four years) in 1966.

Organization

The Office of the Attorney General is organized into six bureaus: Executive; Energy and Environmental; Criminal; Government; Health Care and Fair Competition; and Public Protection and Advocacy. Each bureau is divided into divisions and teams. These bureaus and divisions have distinct missions but work closely together to ensure the Attorney General's Office provides the highest level of public protection.

List of attorneys general

Province of Massachusetts Bay

Office established at the start of Queen Anne's War in 1702.

#NameTerm of service
1 Paul Dudley 1702–1718
2 John Valentine 1718–1720
3 Thomas Newton 1720–1721
–Vacant1721–1722
4 John Overing 1722–1723
–Vacant1723–1725
5 John Read 1725–1728
6 Joseph Hiller 1728–1729
7 John Overing 1729–1736
8 William Brattle 1736–1738
9 John Overing 1739–1748
10 Edmund Trowbridge 1749–1767
11 Jeremiah Gridley 1767
–Vacant1767
12 Jonathan Sewall 1767–1774
–Vacant1774–1776
13 Benjamin Kent 1776–1777
14 Robert Treat Paine 1777–1780

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Office reestablished upon the ratification of the Constitution of Massachusetts in 1780.

No.PortraitNamePrior experienceMunicipality of residenceTerm of servicePolitical party
Party affiliation:    Republican (25)    Democratic (12)    Democratic-Republican (3)

   Whig (3)    Anti-Jacksonian (1)   Independent (1)

1 Robert Treat Paine portrait.jpg Robert Treat Paine 1780–1790Independent
2 James Sullivan.jpg James Sullivan 1790–1807Democratic–Republican [a]
3 BarnabasBidwellByJohnBrewsterJr.jpg Barnabas Bidwell 1807–1810Democratic–Republican
4 PerezMorton byFevretDeSaintMemin.png Perez Morton 1810–1832Democratic–Republican
5 James T. Austin 1832–1843National Republican
–Office abolished1843–1849
6 JohnHClifford.jpg John H. Clifford 1849–1853Whig
7 RufusChoate Southworth Hawes-crop.png Rufus Choate 1853–1854Whig
8 JohnHClifford Photograph.jpg John H. Clifford 1854–1858Whig
9 Stephen Henry Phillips.jpg Stephen Henry Phillips 1858–1861Republican
10 Dwight Foster (1828-1884).png Dwight Foster 1861–1864Republican
11 Chester I. Reed.png Chester I. Reed 1864–1867Republican
12 Charles Allen (jurist).png Charles Allen 1867–1872Republican
13 CRTrain.jpg Charles R. Train 1872–1879Republican
14 George Marston (Massachusetts).png George Marston 1879–1883Republican
15 Edgar J. Sherman.png Edgar J. Sherman 1883–1887Republican
16 Andrew J. Waterman.png Andrew J. Waterman 1887–1891Republican
17 Albert E. Pillsbury.png Albert E. Pillsbury 1891–1894Republican
18 Hosea M. Knowlton cph.3b32615.jpg Hosea M. Knowlton 1894–1902Republican
19 Herbert Parker.png Herbert Parker 1902–1906Republican
20 Dana Malone.png Dana Malone 1906–1911Republican
21 James M. Swift.png James M. Swift 1911–1914Republican
22 Thomas J. Boynton (Massachusetts).png Thomas J. Boynton 1914–1915Democratic
23 Henry Converse Atwill.png Henry Converse Atwill 1915–1919Republican
24 Henry A. Wyman 1919–1920Republican
25 J Weston Allen.png J. Weston Allen House 1915 to 1918, Attorney-at-Law [2] Newton 1920–1923Republican
26 AG Jay R. Benton.png Jay R. Benton Mass. House 1917, '18; Ass't Atty. Gen'l 1918-'22 [3] Belmont 1923–1927Republican
27 Arthur K. Reading Mass House 1919 to 1922, Middlesex County District Attorney, 1923-'26, Lawyer [4] Cambridge 1927–1928Republican
28 Joseph E. Warner.png Joseph E. Warner Taunton Municipal Council 1907-'11, Trust. Pub. Library, Mass. House 1913-'20, Speaker 1919-'20, Delegate to Rep. National Convention 1920, Asst. Atty. Gen. 1923-'28, Attorney-at-Law [5] Taunton 1928–1935Republican
29 Paul A. Dever.png Paul A. Dever Middlesex County Public Administrator, Mass. House 1929-'34, Lawyer [6] Cambridge 1935–1941Democratic
30 Robert T. Bushnell.png Robert T. Bushnell Middlesex County District Attorney, Lawyer West Newton 1941–1945Republican
31 Clarence A. Barnes.png Clarence A. Barnes Mansfield Town Moderator and Counsel, Mass. House 1912-'13, Constitutional Convention, Governor's Council 1943-'44, Lawyer [7] Mansfield 1945–1949Republican
32 Francis E. Kelly.png Francis E. Kelly Boston City Council, Lieutenant Governor, Fall River Finance Commissioner, Attorney at law [8] Dorchester, Boston 1949–1953Democratic
33 George Fingold.png George Fingold Asst. Attorney General, Asst. District Attorney, City Council, Lawyer [9] Concord 1953–1958Republican
34 Edward J. McCormack, Jr.png Edward J. McCormack Jr. Boston City Council, Lawyer Dorchester, Boston 1958–1963Democratic
35 Edward W. Brooke.png Edward W. Brooke Boston Finance Commission (chairman), Mass. Advisory Committee, U.S. Civil Rights Commission (chairman), Lawyer [10] Newton Centre 1963–1967Republican
36 Edward T. Martin 1967Republican
37 Elliot L. Richardson.png Elliot Richardson Lieutenant Governor, United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, Assistant Secretary of the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Brookline Town Meeting member, Lawyer [11] Brookline 1967–1969Republican
38 Robert H. Quinn.png Robert H. Quinn Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Lawyer Dorchester, Boston 1969–1975Democratic
39 Francis X. Bellotti.jpg Francis X. Bellotti Lieutenant Governor, Attorney Quincy 1975–1987Democratic
40 James Shannon (MA Attorney General).jpeg James Shannon Representative in Congress, Lawyer Lawrence 1987–1991Democratic
41 L. Scott Harshbarger.png L. Scott Harshbarger Middlesex County District Attorney; General Counsel, State Ethics Commission; Chief, Public Protection Bureau, Department of Attorney General; Deputy Chief Counsel, Massachusetts Defenders Committee [12] Westwood 1991–1999Democratic
42 Thomas F. Reilly (2003).png Thomas Reilly Middlesex County District Attorney Watertown 1999–2007Democratic
43 Martha Coakley.jpg Martha Coakley Middlesex County District Attorney Medford 2007–2015Democratic
44 Maura Healey official photo.jpg Maura Healey Massachusetts Attorney General's Office as the Chief of the Civil Rights Division, Chief of the Public Protection and Advocacy Bureau, Chief of the Business and Labor Bureau, litigator and junior partner at the international law firm WilmerHale, Special Assistant District Attorney for Middlesex County, clerk for Judge David Mazzone in the United States District Court in Massachusetts, former professional basketball player Boston 2015–2023Democratic
Acting Kate R. Cook First Assistant Attorney General of Massachusetts from January 2022 until January 5, 2023BostonJanuary 5, 2023Independent
Acting Bessie Dewar 53501588163 o (1).jpg Bessie Dewar State Solicitor of Massachusetts since January 2016BostonJanuary 5–18, 2023Democratic
45 AJC Headshot (3x4).jpg Andrea Campbell Member of the Boston City Council, President of the Boston City Council, 2021 Boston mayoral candidate, Lawyer Boston 2023–presentDemocratic
  1. ↑ Sullivan was independent, but switched to the Democratic–Republican Party between 1792 and 1794.

References

  1. ↑ "How to Run for Office in Massachusetts" (PDF). Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. March 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  2. ↑ Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1921-1922. Boston Review. 1921. p. 28.
  3. ↑ Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1925-1926. Boston Review. 1925. p. 28.
  4. ↑ Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1927-1928. Boston Review. 1927. p. 28.
  5. ↑ Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1933-1934. Boston Review. 1933. p. 27.
  6. ↑ Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1945-1946. Boston Review. 1939. p. 26.
  7. ↑ Hayden, Irving N.; Grove, Lawrence R. (1945). Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1945-1946. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. p. 25.
  8. ↑ Hayden, Irving N.; Grove, Lawrence R. (1957). Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1951-1952. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. p. 27.
  9. ↑ Hayden, Irving N.; Grove, Lawrence R. (1957). Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1957-1958. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. p. 26.
  10. ↑ Chadwick, Thomas A.; Maiers, William C. (1965). Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1965-1966. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. p. 23.
  11. ↑ Pidgeon, Norman L.; Maiers, William C. (1967). Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1967-1968. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. p. 23.
  12. ↑ O'Neill, Edward B.; MacQueen, Robert E. (1997). Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1997-1998 (PDF). Commonwealth of Massachusetts. p. 25.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
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