Michigan Attorney General

The attorney general of the State of Michigan is the fourth-ranking official in the U.S. state of Michigan. The officeholder is elected statewide in the November general election alongside the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, members of the Senate and members of the House of Representatives.

Attorney General of the State of Michigan
Seal of the attorney general
Incumbent
Dana Nessel
since January 1, 2019
Michigan Department of Attorney General
StyleThe Honorable
ResidencePrivate
AppointerPopular Election
Term length4 Years, Renewable Once
Inaugural holderDaniel LeRoy
Formation1837
Websitewww.michigan.gov/ag

Since the Michigan Constitution of 1963 was adopted, the attorney general has served a term of four years. The officeholder is also limited to two terms, for a total of eight possible years of service; ten possible years of service if the officeholder serves two full terms and less than half of one term as a replacement.

“Inasmuch as the office of Attorney General has common law powers as the chief law enforcement officer of the State, [they] may exercise the powers of a peace officer and may appoint special agents having this status to assist [them] in enforcing [their] powers and carrying out [their] functions” (AG Opinion No. 5236,10/20/1977).

Michigan law, MCL 14.32, provides that "[i]t shall be the duty of the attorney general, when required, to give [their] opinion upon all questions of law submitted to [them] by the legislature, or by either branch thereof, or by the governor, auditor general, treasurer or any other state officer . . . ."

Michigan's current attorney general is Democrat Dana Nessel, who was elected in November 2018, and sworn into office on January 1, 2019.

Courtesy title

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The attorney general traditionally receives the courtesy title of The Honorable for life.

List of attorneys general of Michigan

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Attorney General In office Political party
  Daniel LeRoy 1836–1837
  Peter Morey 1837–1841 Democratic
  Zephaniah Platt 1841–1843 Whig
  Elon Farnsworth 1843–1845 Democratic
  Henry N. Walker 1845–1847 Democratic
  Edward Mundy 1847–1848 Democratic
  George V. N. Lothrop 1848–1851 Democratic
  William Hale 1851–1855 Democratic
  Jacob M. Howard 1855–1860 Republican
  Charles Upson 1861–1863 Republican
  Albert Williams 1863–1867
  William L. Stoughton 1867–1869 Republican
  Dwight May 1869–1873
  Byron D. Ball 1873–1874 Republican
  Isaac Marston 1874–1875
  Andrew J. Smith 1875–1877
  Otto Kirchner 1877–1881 Republican
  Jacob J. Van Riper 1881–1885
  Moses Taggart 1885–1889 Republican
  Stephen V. R. Trowbridge 1889–1890
  Benjamin W. Huston 1890 Republican
  Adolphus A. Ellis 1891–1895 Democratic
  Fred A. Maynard 1895–1899
  Horace M. Oren 1899–1903
  Charles A. Blair 1903–1905
  John E. Bird 1905–1910
  Franz C. Kuhn 1910–1912 Republican
  Roger I. Wykes 1912 Republican
  Grant Fellows 1913–1917 Republican
  Alex J. Groesbeck 1917–1921 Republican
  Merlin Wiley 1921–1923 Republican
  Andrew B. Dougherty 1923–1926 Republican
  Clare Retan 1926 Republican
  William W. Potter 1927–1929 Republican
  Wilber M. Brucker 1929–1931 Republican
  Paul W. Voorhies 1931–1933 Republican
  Patrick H. O'Brien 1933–1935 Democratic
  Harry S. Toy 1935 Republican
  David H. Crowley 1935–1937 Republican
  Raymond Wesley Starr 1937–1939
  Thomas Read 1939-1940 Republican
  Herbert J. Rushton 1941–1944 Republican
  John R. Dethmers 1945–1946 Republican
  Foss O. Eldred 1946 Republican
  Eugene F. Black 1947–1949 Republican
  Stephen John Roth 1949–1951
  Frank Millard 1951–1955 Republican
  Thomas M. Kavanagh 1955–1957 Democratic
  Paul L. Adams 1957–1961 Democratic
  Frank J. Kelley 1961–1999 Democratic
  Jennifer Granholm 1999–2003 Democratic
  Mike Cox 2003–2011 Republican
  Bill Schuette 2011–2019 Republican
  Dana Nessel 2019–present Democratic

Source: Michigan Manual 2003-2004, Chapter IV, Former Officials of Michigan

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