Attorney General of Minnesota

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Attorney General of Minnesota
Keith Ellison portrait.jpg
Incumbent
Keith Ellison
since January 7, 2019
Style
  • Mr. or Madam Attorney General
    (informal)
  • The Honorable
    (formal)
Member ofExecutive Council, among others
SeatMinnesota State Capitol
Saint Paul, Minnesota
AppointerGeneral election
Term lengthFour years, no term limits
Constituting instrumentMinnesota Constitution of 1858, Article V
Inaugural holderCharles H. Berry
FormationMay 11, 1858
(163 years ago) (May 11, 1858)
Salary$121,248[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 DFLer.

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 state and federal court as well as in administrative adjudication and rulemaking proceedings. 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[]

Name Took office Left office Party
Lorenzo A. Babcock 1849 1853
LaFayette Emmett 1853 1858

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)   

State of Minnesota[]

Politics of Minnesota
Minnesota-StateSeal.svg
Constitution
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Elections
Subdivisions
Federal representation
  • v
  • t
No. Name Term of office Political party Law school
1 Charles H. Berry 1858–1860 Republican Read law
2 Gordon E. Cole 1860–1866 Republican Harvard Law School
3 William J. Colvill 1866–1868 Union Democrat Read law under Millard Fillmore
4 Francis R. E. Cornell 1868–1874 Republican Read law
5 George P. Wilson 1874–1880 Republican Read law
6 Charles M. Start 1880–1881 Republican Read law under William C. Wilson
7 William John Hahn 1881–1887 Republican Read law
8 Moses E. Clapp 1887–1893 Republican University of Wisconsin Law School
9 Henry W. Childs 1893–1899 Republican Read law
10 Wallace B. Douglas 1899–1904 Republican University of Michigan Law School
11 William J. Donahower 1904–1905 Republican Read law
12 Edward T. Young 1905–1909 Republican University of Minnesota Law School
13 George T. Simpson 1909-1912 Republican Read law
14 Lyndon A. Smith 1912–1918 Republican Georgetown University Law Center
15 Clifford L. Hilton 1918–1927 Republican University of Wisconsin Law School
16 Albert F. Pratt 1927–1928 Republican University of Minnesota Law School
17 G. Aaron Youngquist 1928–1929 Republican St. Paul College of Law
18 Henry N. Benson 1929–1933 Republican University of Minnesota Law School
19 Harry H. Peterson 1933–1936 Farmer-Labor University of Minnesota Law School
20 William S. Ervin 1936–1939 Farmer-Labor University of Minnesota Law School
21 Joseph A. A. Burnquist 1939–1955 Republican University of Minnesota Law School
22 Miles Lord 1955–1960 DFL University of Minnesota Law School
23 Walter Mondale 1960–1964 DFL University of Minnesota Law School
24 Robert W. Mattson Sr. 1964–1967 DFL University of Minnesota Law School
25 Douglas M. Head 1967–1971 Republican University of Minnesota Law School
26 Warren Spannaus 1971–1983 DFL University of Minnesota Law School
27 Skip Humphrey 1983–1999 DFL University of Minnesota Law School
28 Mike Hatch 1999–2007 DFL University of Minnesota Law School
29 Lori Swanson 2007–2019 DFL William Mitchell College of Law
30 Keith Ellison 2019–present DFL University of Minnesota Law School

See also[]

  • University of Minnesota Law School
  • William Mitchell College of Law
  • Attorney General of South Dakota

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.

External links[]

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