Attorney General of Maine

Maine Attorney General

General information
Office Type: | Partisan
Office website: | Official Link
Compensation: | $105,914
2021 FY Budget: | $48,164,365
Term limits: | Four consecutive terms
Structure
Length of term: |  Two years
Authority: | Maine Constitution, Article IX, Section 11
Selection Method: | Elected by secret ballot of the state legislature
Current Officeholder

Attorney General of Maine Aaron Frey
Democratic Party
Assumed office: 2019-01-08

Other Maine Executive Offices
Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Commissioner of Education • Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Commissioner • Superintendent of Insurance • Labor Commissioner • Public Utilities Commission

## Contents

* 1 Current officeholder
* 2 Authority
* 3 Qualifications
* 4 Appointments
* 4.1 Term limits
* 5 Vacancies
* 6 Duties
* 7 Divisions
* 8 Campaign finance
* 9 State budget
* 10 Compensation
* 10.1 2020
* 10.2 2019
* 10.3 2018
* 10.4 2017
* 10.5 2016
* 10.6 2015
* 10.7 2014
* 10.8 2013
* 10.9 2012
* 11 Historical officeholders
* 12 Recent news
* 13 Contact information
* 14 See also
* 15 External links
* 16 Footnotes

The Attorney General of Maine serves as the chief legal advisor for the state. Maine is the only state where the attorney general is selected by a secret ballot of state legislators at the beginning of each session. The attorney general serves two-year terms, and is limited to serving four consecutive terms.[1]

Maine has a Democratic triplex. The Democratic Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.

## Current officeholder[edit]

The current officeholder is Aaron Frey (D).[2] On December 6, 2018, the Maine State Legislature selected Frey to succeed Janet Mills (D).[3] He assumed office on January 8, 2019.[4] The state legislature selected Frey for a second term on December 2, 2020, which began on January 4, 2021.[5]

## Authority[edit]

The state Constitution establishes the office of the attorney general in Article IX, Section 11.

The Attorney General shall be chosen biennially by joint ballot of the Senators and Representatives in convention. Vacancy in said office occurring when the Legislature is not in session, may be filled by appointment by the Governor, subject to confirmation as required by this Constitution for Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court.

## Qualifications[edit]

To be attorney general, a candidate must be in good standing with the bar of the State of Maine.[6]

## Appointments[edit]

Maine state government organizational chart

See also: State executives with term limits

The Maine Attorney General is elected by secret ballot of the legislature. It is one of the first tasks of each newly sworn-in legislature. Maine is the only state to select its attorney general in this manner.[7]

### Term limits[edit]

Term limits for the attorney general are laid out in Section 553 of Title 21-A of the Maine Revised Statutes, which prohibits an attorney general from serving more than four consecutive terms.[8]

Maine Revised Statutes, Title 21-A, Section 553-5:

A person may not serve more than 4 consecutive terms as Attorney General.

## Vacancies[edit]

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches the constitutional or statutory text that details the process of filling vacancies for a state executive office. That information for the Attorney General of Maine has not yet been added. After extensive research, we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

## Duties[edit]

The attorney general oversees the following duties while in office:

“  |

* representing the State and its agencies in civil actions;
* prosecuting claims to recover money for the State;
* investigating and prosecuting homicides and other crimes;
* consulting with and advising the district attorneys;
* enforcing proper application of funds given to public charities in the State;
* and giving written opinions upon questions of law submitted by the Governor, Legislature, or state agencies.

[9]

| ”

|
|

—Office of the Maine Attorney General[10]

In addition, the attorney general holds the following responsibilities:

* appointing deputy and assistant attorneys general; and
* acting as the first in line to succeed the governor should the office holder leave office or become incapacitate. Maine is one of five states that has no lieutenant governor.

## Divisions[edit]

As of January 10, 2021, the attorney general's office is divided into the following divisions.

* Administration Division
* Child Protective Division
* Child Support Division
* Health & Human Services Division
* Criminal Division
* Investigation Division
* Litigation Division
* Office of the Chief
* Medical Examiner
* Natural Resources Division
* Professional/Financial Regulation Division
* Consumer Protection Division[11]

## Campaign finance[edit]

Main article: Campaign finance requirements for Maine ballot measures

The Attorney General of Maine is responsible for all disciplinary manners toward the state's campaign finance laws, regardless of whether the offense involves civil or criminal laws. The first step if someone may have violated Maine campaign finance law is to file a complaint with the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices. It is up to the commission to conduct an investigation determining whether or not a violation took place.[12]

## State budget[edit]

See also: Maine state budget and finances

The Department of the Attorney General's budget for Fiscal Year 2020-2021 was $48,164,365.[13]

## Compensation[edit]

See also: Compensation of state executive officers

The attorney general’s salary is determined by the Maine Legislative Council, an administrative body composed of 10 elected members of legislative leadership. The council establishes salaries for all legislative employees, unless otherwise determined by law.[14] The attorney general is also permitted to claim reimbursement for actual expenses.[15] The Legislative Council may decide to adjust the salary of the secretary of state and attorney general for each year of continuous service.[16]

Maine Code 191

Attorney General; office; salary. The Attorney General is the executive head of the Department of the Attorney General. The Attorney General shall keep an office at the seat of government and is entitled to receive an annual salary in full for all services. The Attorney General is entitled to receive actual expenses incurred in the performance of official duties.

### 2020[edit]

In 2020, the attorney general received a salary of $105,914, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]

### 2019[edit]

In 2019, the attorney general received a salary of $105,914, according to the Council of State Governments.[18]

### 2018[edit]

In 2018, the attorney general received a salary of $122,616, according to the Council of State Governments.[19]

### 2017[edit]

In 2017, the attorney general received a salary of $119,038, according to the Council of State Governments.[20]

### 2016[edit]

In 2016, the attorney general received a salary of $111,134, according to the Council of State Governments.[21]

### 2015[edit]

In 2015, the attorney general received a salary of $103,750, according to the Council of State Governments.[22]

### 2014[edit]

In 2014, the attorney general earned a salary of $92,248, according to the Council of State Governments.[23]

### 2013[edit]

In 2013, the attorney general earned a salary of $92,248, according to the Council of State Governments.[24]

### 2012[edit]

In 2012, the attorney general earned a salary of $92,248, according to the Council of State Governments.[25]

## Historical officeholders[edit]

There have been 58 Attorneys General of Maine since 1820. Of the 54 officeholders, there have been 30 Republicans, 20 Democrats, one Whig, one Democratic-Republican, and two with no available partisan information.[26]

List of Historical Officeholders from 1820-Present

#  | Name  | Tenure  | Party
1 | Erastus Foote | 1820-1831 | Democratic-Republican
2 | Jonathan P. Rogers | 1821-1834 |  Democratic
3 | Nathan Clifford | 1834-1837 |  Democratic
4 | Daniel Goodenow | 1838 |  Democratic
5 | Stephen Emery | 1839-1840 |  Democratic
6 | Daniel Goodenow | 1841 |  Democratic
7 | Otis L. Bridges | 1842-1843 |  Democratic
8 | W.B.S. Moor | 1844-1847 |  Democratic
9 | Samuel H. Blake | 1848 |  Democratic
10 | Henry Tallman | 1849-1852 |  Democratic
11 | George Evans | 1853-1854 | Whig
12 | John S. Abbott | 1855 |  Republican
13 | George Evans | 1856 | Whig
14 | Nathan D. Appleton | 1857-1859 |
15 | G.W. Ingersoll | 1860 |
16 | J.H. Drummond | 1860-1863 |  Democratic
17 | John A. Peters | 1864-1866 |  Republican
18 | William P. Frye | 1867-1869 |  Republican
19 | Thomas B. Reed | 1870-1872 |  Republican
20 | Harris M. Plaisted | 1873-1875 |  Republican
21 | Lucilius A. Emery | 1876-1878 |  Republican
22 | William H. McLellan | 1879 |  Democratic
23 | Henry B. Cleaves | 1880-1884 |  Republican
24 | Orville D. Baker | 1885-1888 |  Republican
25 | Charles E. Littlefield | 1889-1892 |  Republican
26 | Frederick A. Powers | 1893-1896 |  Republican
27 | William T. Haines | 1897-1900 |  Republican
28 | George M. Seiders | 1901-1904 |  Republican
29 | Hannibal E. Hamlin | 1905-1908 |  Republican
30 | W.C. Philbrook | 1909-1910 |  Republican
31 | Cyrus R. Tupper | 1911 |  Democratic
32 | William R. Pattangall | 1911-1912 |  Democratic
33 | Scott Wilson | 1913-1914 |  Republican
34 | William R. Pattangall | 1915-1916 |  Democratic
35 | Guy H. Sturgis | 1917-1920 |  Republican
36 | Ransford W. Shaw | 1921-1924 |  Republican
37 | Raymond Fellows | 1925-1928 |  Republican
38 | Clement F. Robinson | 1929-1932 |  Republican
39 | Clyde R. Chapman | 1933-1936 |  Republican
40 | Franz U. Burkett | 1937-1940 |  Republican
41 | Frank I. Cowan | 1941-1944 |  Republican
42 | Ralph W. Farris | 1945-1950 |  Republican
43 | Alexander A. LaFleur | 1951-1954 |  Republican
44 | Frank F. Harding | 1955-1958 |  Republican
45 | Frank E. Hancock | 1959-1964 |  Republican
46 | Richard J. Dubord | 1965-1966 |  Democratic
47 | James S. Erwin | 1967-1971 |  Republican
48 | Jon A. Lund | 1972-1974 |  Republican
49 | Joseph E. Brennan | 1975-1978 |  Democratic
50 | Richard S. Cohen | 1979-1980 |  Republican
51 | James E. Tierney | 1981-1990 |  Democratic
52 | Michael Carpenter | 1991-1994 |  Democratic
53 | Andrew Ketterer | 1995-2000 |  Democratic
54 | G. Steven Rowe | 2001-2008 |  Democratic
55 | Janet T. Mills | 2009-2010 |  Democratic
56 | William Schneider | 2011-2012 |  Republican
57 | Janet T. Mills | 2013-2018 |  Democratic
58 | Aaron Frey | 2019-Present |  Democratic

## Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Maine Attorney General. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Attorney General of Maine - Google News

## Contact information[edit]

6 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333

Phone: 207-626-8800
Toll Free Phone: 207-626-8865

## See also[edit]

Maine | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis

|
|

Maine State Executive Offices Maine State Legislature Maine Courts |  2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 Maine elections: 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 |  Party control of state government State government trifectas State of the state addresses Partisan composition of governors

## External links[edit]

| Suggest a link

|

* Maine Attorney General

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Office of the Attorney General of Maine, "What We Do," accessed January 10, 2021
2. ↑ Office of the Attorney General of Maine, "Attorney General Aaron M. Frey BIO," accessed January 10, 2021
3. ↑ Central Maine, "Democrats assume control of Maine Legislature, select leaders and top state officers," December 6, 2018
4. ↑ Office of the Maine Attorney General, "Aaron M. Frey takes oath as Maine's 58th Attorney General," January 8, 2019
5. ↑ News Center Maine, "130th Legislature gets underway," Dec. 2, 2020
6. ↑ Maine Legislature, "MRS Title 5, Chapter 9. ATTORNEY GENERAL," accessed January 10, 2021
7. ↑ Maine Public Broadcasting Network, "Mills Wants to Stay on as Maine's Attorney General," November 24, 2010
8. ↑ Maine Legislature, "Maine Revised Statutes, Title 21-A: Elections, Chapter 8: Limitation of Terms," accessed January 10, 2021
9. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
10. ↑ Office of the Maine Attorney General, "What We Do," accessed January 10, 2021
11. ↑ Office of the Attorney General of Maine, "Organization," accessed January 10, 2021
12. ↑ Maine Legislature, "Maine Campaign Finance Law," accessed January 10, 2021
13. ↑ Maine Legislature, "Total Appropriations & Allocations All Funds 2020-2021 Biennium," accessed January 10, 2021
14. ↑ Maine Legislature, "126th Maine Legislature Orientation Materials," accessed January 10, 2021
15. ↑ Maine Legislature, "State Departments, Attorney General," accessed January 10, 2021(Referenced Statute 5-§191, Maine Revised Statutes)
16. ↑ Maine Legislature, "Salaries of constitutional officers," accessed January 10, 2021(Referenced Statute 3- §162-B, Maine Revised Statutes)
17. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 10, 2021
18. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 10, 2021
19. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 10, 2021
20. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 10, 2021
21. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
22. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
23. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed November 25, 2014
24. ↑ Council of state governments, "Table 4.11 Selected state administrative officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 23, 2014
25. ↑ Council of state governments, "Table 4.11 Selected state administrative officials: Annual Salaries," accessed August 31, 2017
26. ↑ Maine State Legislature website, "Maine Attorneys General, 1820-," accessed Jan. 6, 2021

v • e

Attorneys General

Elected (by voters)|

Alabama • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • Washington, D.C. • West Virginia • Wisconsin

Appointed (by gov.)|

Alaska • Hawaii • New Jersey • Wyoming

Appointed (by courts)|

Tennessee

Elected (state leg.)|

Maine • New Hampshire

Elections|

2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010

Other|

State executive offices • Chart of state executive officers • Attorney General office comparison

v • e

State of Maine
Augusta (capital)

|

Elections |

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2022 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government |

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy