Michigan Attorney General

The Attorney General 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. Until 1950, the attorney general was appointed by the governor.

Inasmuch as the office of Attorney General has common law powers as the chief law enforcement officer of the State, he may exercise the powers of a peace officer and may appoint special agents having this status to assist him in enforcing his powers and carrying out his 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 his opinion upon all questions of law submitted to him 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

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

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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