Attorney General of Virginia

Virginia Attorney General

General information
Office Type: | Partisan
Office website: | Official Link
Compensation: | $150,000
2024 FY Budget: | $69,777,290
Term limits: | None
Structure
Length of term: |  4 years
Authority: | Virginia Constitution, Article 5, Section 15
Selection Method: | Elected
Current Officeholder

Attorney General of Virginia Jason Miyares
Republican Party
Assumed office: January 15, 2022

Elections
Next election: | November 4, 2025
Last election: | November 2, 2021
Other Virginia Executive Offices
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission

## Contents

* 1 Current officeholder
* 2 Authority
* 3 Qualifications
* 4 Elections
* 4.1 2021
* 4.2 2017
* 4.3 2013
* 4.4 Full history
* 4.5 Term limits
* 5 Vacancies
* 6 Duties
* 7 Divisions
* 8 State budget
* 9 Compensation
* 9.1 2022
* 9.2 2021
* 9.3 2020
* 9.4 2019
* 9.5 2018
* 9.6 2017
* 9.7 2016
* 9.8 2015
* 9.9 2014
* 9.10 2013
* 9.11 2011
* 10 Historical officeholders
* 10.1 Commonwealth attorneys general (1869-present)
* 10.2 Civil War attorneys general (1861-1869)
* 10.2.1 Secession government (1861-1865)
* 10.2.2 Restored government (1865-1865)
* 10.3 Commonwealth attorneys general (1776-1857)
* 11 Recent news
* 12 Contact information
* 13 See also
* 14 External links
* 15 Footnotes

The Attorney General of Virginia is a publicly elected executive official in the Virginia state government. The attorney general provides legal advice and representation for all state agencies. The attorney general also provides written legal advice in the form of official opinions to members of the Virginia General Assembly and other government officials.

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

## Current officeholder[edit]

The current officeholder is Republican Jason Miyares. He was first elected in 2021 and was sworn in on January 15, 2022.

## Authority[edit]

The office of attorney general is established in Article 5, Section 15 of the Virginia Constitution.

Article V, Section 15:

An Attorney General shall be elected by the qualified voters of the Commonwealth at the same time and for the same term as the Governor; and the fact of his election shall be ascertained in the same manner...

## Qualifications[edit]

Article V, Section 15 of the Virginia Constitution also establishes the qualifications of the office:

* U.S. citizen
* at least 30 years old
* is qualified to be a judge of a court of record in the state

...No person shall be eligible for election or appointment to the office of Attorney General unless he is a citizen of the United States, has attained the age of thirty years, and has the qualifications required for a judge of a court of record...

## Elections[edit]

Virginia state government organizational chart

The attorney general is elected every four years at the same time the governor is elected. These elections take place one year after the presidential elections (e.g. 2017, 2021, 2025, etc.).[1] Legally, the inauguration is always held on the Saturday after the second Wednesday in January after an election.[2][3]

### 2021[edit]

See also: Virginia Attorney General election, 2021

#### General election

##### General election for Attorney General of Virginia

Jason Miyares defeated incumbent Mark Herring in the general election for Attorney General of Virginia on November 2, 2021.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Jason Miyares (R) |

50.4

| 1,647,534

| Mark Herring (D) |

49.6

| 1,621,227
|  | Other/Write-in votes|

0.1

| 2,996

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 3,271,757

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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#### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Attorney General of Virginia

Incumbent Mark Herring defeated Jerrauld Jones in the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Virginia on June 8, 2021.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Mark Herring|

56.6

| 274,736

| Jerrauld Jones|

43.4

| 210,365

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 485,101

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Republican convention

#####  Republican Convention for Attorney General of Virginia

Select round:  Round 3 Round 2 Round 1

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Jason Miyares in round 3 . The results of Round  are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.

|  |

Candidate

Total Votes

Transfer

Round eliminated

|
|
|
|
|
|

| Jason Miyares |

51.7

| 6,490 | 1,193 | Advanced (3)

| Chuck Smith |

48.3

| 6,064 | 1,089 | 3

| Jack White |

0.0

| 0 | -2,282 | 3

| Leslie Haley |

0.0

| 0 | 0 | 2

|  |

Candidate

Total Votes

Transfer

Round eliminated

|
|
|
|
|
|

| Jason Miyares |

42.2

| 5,297 | 708 | Advanced (3)

| Chuck Smith |

39.6

| 4,975 | 651 | 3

| Jack White |

18.2

| 2,282 | 410 | 3

| Leslie Haley |

0.0

| 0 | -1,768 | 2

|  |

Candidate

Total Votes

Transfer

Round eliminated

|
|
|
|
|
|

| Jason Miyares |

36.6

| 4,589 | 0 | Advanced (3)

| Chuck Smith |

34.4

| 4,324 | 0 | 3

| Jack White |

14.9

| 1,872 | 0 | 3

| Leslie Haley |

14.1

| 1,768 | 0 | 2

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 12,553

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

### 2017[edit]

See also: Virginia attorney general election, 2017

Incumbent Mark Herring (D) defeated John Adams (R) in the election for Attorney General of Virginia.[4]

Virginia Attorney General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Mark Herring Incumbent | 53.39% | 1,385,389
| Republican  | John Adams | 46.61% | 1,209,339
Total Votes | 2,594,728
Source: Virginia Department of Elections

### 2013[edit]

On November 5, 2013, Mark Herring won election to the office of Attorney General of Virginia. He defeated Mark Obenshain (R) in the general election.

Attorney General of Virginia, 2013

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  | Mark Herring | 50% | 1,105,045
| Republican  |  Mark Obenshain  | 50% | 1,104,138
Total Votes | 2,209,183
Election results via Virginia State Board of Elections.

### Full history[edit]

To view the electoral history dating back to 2001 for the office of Attorney General of Virginia, click [show] to expand the section.

|

2009

On November 3, 2009, Ken T. Cuccinelli II won election to the office of Attorney General of Virginia. He defeated Stephen C. Shannon (D) in the general election.

| Attorney General of Virginia, 2009

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Ken T. Cuccinelli II | 57.5% | 1,124,137
| Democratic  |  Stephen C. Shannon  | 42.4% | 828,687
| Write-In |  Various | 0.1% | 1,772
Total Votes | 1,954,596
Election results via Virginia State Board of Elections.

2005

On November 8, 2005, Robert F. McDonnell won election to the office of Attorney General of Virginia. He defeated R. Creigh Deeds (D) in the general election.

Attorney General of Virginia, 2005

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Robert F. McDonnell | 50% | 970,886
| Democratic  |  R. Creigh Deeds | 49.9% | 970,563
| Write-In |  Various | 0.1% | 1,801
Total Votes | 1,943,250
Election results via Virginia State Board of Elections.

2001

On November 6, 2001, Jerry W. Kilgore won election to the office of Attorney General of Virginia. He defeated A.D. McEachin (D) in the general election.

Attorney General of Virginia, 2001

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Jerry W. Kilgore | 60% | 1,107,068
| Democratic  |  A.D. McEachin  | 39.9% | 736,431
| Write-In |  Various | 0.1% | 1,282
Total Votes | 1,844,781
Election results via Virginia State Board of Elections.

### Term limits[edit]

According to the state constitution there are no term limits for this office.[5]

## Vacancies[edit]

In the event of a vacancy in the office, the governor shall fill the vacancy by appointment. The appointee shall hold office until the next general election.

## Duties[edit]

The duties and powers of the office of the attorney general include:[6]

“  |

* Provide legal advice and representation to the governor and executive agencies, state boards and commissions and institutions of higher education. The advice commonly includes help with personnel issues, contracts, purchasing, regulatory and real estate matters and the review of proposed legislation. The office also represents those agencies in court.
* Provide written legal advice in the form of official opinions to members of the general assembly and government officials.
* Defend criminal convictions on appeal and defend the state when prisoners sue concerning their incarceration.
* Defend the constitutionality of state laws when they are challenged in court.
* Enforce state laws that protect businesses and consumers when there are violations. Individual consumer complaints are usually handled by another agency.
* Represent consumers in utility matters before the Virginia Corporation Commission.
* Collect debts owed to state agencies, hospitals and universities.
* Conduct or assist criminal investigations and prosecutions in certain limited cases (for example Medicaid fraud, money laundering, theft of state property, environmental crimes and computer crimes).
* Represent the Virginia Department of Social Services in its efforts to collect child support on behalf of children and families.
* Supervise the appointment and payment of private attorneys hired by other state agencies for various matters.
* Assist victims of crime who are following criminal cases at the appellate level.
* Provide information to the public on identity theft prevention and remediation.
* Administer grants to help reduce crimes involving gangs, drugs and sex predators.
* Administer the Virginia Sexually Violent Predator Civil Commitment Program to protect children from the most dangerous predators.[7]

| ”

|
|

A complete list of the duties of the office is outlined in the Virginia state code.[8]

## Divisions[edit]

As of January 11, 2021, divisions within the Attorney General's Office included:[9]

* Executive & Administration
* Solicitor General
* Government Operations & Transactions
* Health, Education & Social Services
* Criminal Justice & Public Safety
* Civil Litigation

## State budget[edit]

See also: Virginia state budget and finances

The budget for the Attorney General's Office and the Department of Law in Fiscal Year 2024 was $69,777,290.[10]

## Compensation[edit]

See also: Compensation of state executive officers

The attorney general's annual salary is set by law, pursuant to Article V, Section 15 of the Virginia Constitution:

The Attorney General...shall receive such compensation as may be prescribed by law, which compensation shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected.

### 2022[edit]

In 2022, the officer's salary was $150,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]

### 2021[edit]

In 2021, the attorney general received a salary of $150,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]

### 2020[edit]

In 2020, the attorney general received a salary of $150,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[13]

### 2019[edit]

In 2019, the attorney general received a salary of $150,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[14]

### 2018[edit]

In 2018, the attorney general received a salary of $150,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[15]

### 2017[edit]

In 2017, the attorney general received a salary of $150,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[16]

### 2016[edit]

In 2016, the attorney general received a salary of $150,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[17]

### 2015[edit]

In 2015, the attorney general received a salary of $150,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[18]

### 2014[edit]

In 2014, the attorney general received a salary of $150,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[19]

### 2013[edit]

In 2013, the attorney general was paid an estimated $150,000. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.[20]

### 2011[edit]

In 2011, the attorney general was paid an estimated $150,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[21]

## Historical officeholders[edit]

### Commonwealth attorneys general (1869-present)[edit]

There have been 37 attorney general of Virginia since 1869. Of the 37 officeholders, 11 were Republican, 22 were Democrat, three were Conservatives, and one was Readjuster.[22]

List of officeholders from 1869-Present

#  | Name  | Tenure  | Party
1 | Charles Whittlesey | 1869–1870 |  Republican
2 | James Craig Taylor | 1870-1874 | Conservative
3 | Raleigh Travers Daniel | 1874–1877 | Conservative
4 | James Gavin Field | 1877-1882 | Conservative
5 | Francis Simpson Blair | 1882–1886 | Readjuster
6 | Rufus Adolphus Ayers | 1886– 1890 |  Democratic
7 | Robert Taylor Scott | 1890–1897 |  Democratic
8 | Richard Carter Scott | 1897-1898 |  Democratic
9 | Andrew Jackson Montague | 1898– 1902 |  Democratic
10 | William Alexander Anderson | 1902– 1910 |  Democratic
11 | Samuel Walker Williams | 1910–1914 |  Democratic
12 | John Garland Pollard | 1914–1918 |  Democratic
13 | Josiah Dickenson Hank Jr | 1918 |  Democratic
14 | John Richard Saunders | 1918–1934 |  Democratic
15 | Abram Penn | 1934-1947 |  Democratic
16 | Harvey Black Apperson | 1947-1948 |  Democratic
17 | James Lindsay Almond Jr | 1948-1957 |  Democratic
18 | Kenneth Cartright Patty | 1957-1958 |  Democratic
19 | Albertis Sydney Harrison Jr | 1958–1961 |  Democratic
20 | Frederick Thomas Gray | 1961- 1962 |  Democratic
21 | Robert Young Button | 1962–1970 |  Democratic
22 | Andrew Pickens Miller | 1970–1977 |  Democratic
23 | Anthony Francis Troy | 1977-1978 |  Democratic
24 | John Marshall Coleman | 1978–1982 |  Republican
25 | Gerald Lee Baliles | 1982–1985 |  Democratic
26 | William Gray Broaddus | 1985-1986 |  Democratic
27 | Mary Sue Terry | 1986–1993 |  Democratic
28 | Stephen Douglas Rosenthal | 1993-1994 |  Democratic
29 | James Stuart Gilmore III | 1994–1997 |  Republican
30 | Richard Cullen | 1997-1998 |  Republican
31 | Mark Lawrence Earley | 1998-2001 |  Republican
32 | Randolph Allen Beales | 2001-2002 |  Republican
33 | Jerry Walter Kilgore | 2002–2005 |  Republican
34 | Judith Williams Jagdmann | 2005-2006 |  Republican
35 | Robert Francis McDonnell | 2006–2009 |  Republican
36 | William Cleveland Mims | 2009-2010 |  Republican
37 | Kenneth Thomas Cuccinelli | 2010–2014 |  Republican
38 | Mark Herring | 2014–2022 |  Democratic
39 | Jason Miyares | 2022–Present |  Republican

### Civil War attorneys general (1861-1869)[edit]

#### Secession government (1861-1865)[edit]

John Randolph Tucker was the Democratic attorney general from 1861 to 1865, when Virginia had succeeded in the Civil War.[22]

#### Restored government (1865-1865)[edit]

The era from when the Virginia rejoined the Union states and the end of the Civil War is known as the Restored Government of Virginia. There were two attorneys general in this era: Republican James S. Wheat (1861-1862) and Unionist/Republican Thomas Russell Bowden (1863-1869). Bowden served past the end of the Restored Government.[22]

### Commonwealth attorneys general (1776-1857)[edit]

There were eight Attorneys General of Virginia between 1776-1857.[22]

List of officeholders from 1776-1857

#  | Name  | Tenure  | Party
1 | Edmund Randolph | 1776-1786 |
2 | James Innes | 1786-1796 |
3 | John Marshall | 1794-1795 |
4 | Robert Brooke | 1796-1800 | Democratic-Republican
5 | Philip Norborne Nicholas | 1800- 1819 | Democratic-Republican
6 | John Robertson | 1819-1834 |
7 | Sidney Smith Baxter | 1834-1852 |  Democratic
8 | Willis Perry Bocock | 1852- 1857 |  Democratic

## Recent news[edit]

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

Attorney General of Virginia - Google News

## Contact information[edit]

Office of the Attorney General
202 North Ninth Street
Richmond, VA 23219

Phone: 804-786-2071

## See also[edit]

Virginia | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis

|
|

Virginia State Executive Offices Virginia State Legislature Virginia Courts |  2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 Virginia elections: 2024 • 2023 • 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

|

* Office of the Virginia Attorney General

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Article V, Section 15 of the state constitution
2. ↑ Virginia Law, "Article V. Executive, Section 1. Executive power; Governor’s term of office.," accessed November 3, 2021
3. ↑ Virginia Law, "Article V. Executive, Section 15. Attorney General," accessed November 3, 2021
4. ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "List of Statewide Candidates," October 17, 2017
5. ↑ Virginia State Constitution, Article 5, Section 15
6. ↑ Virginia Attorney General, "Responsibilities," accessed January 11, 2021
7. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
8. ↑ Office of the Virginia Attorney General, "Duties ascribed in the Code of Virginia, 7/1/2011," accessed January 11, 2021
9. ↑ Virginia Attorney General, "About the Attorney General," accessed January 11, 2021
10. ↑ Commonwealth of Virginia, "Budget Bill - HB6001 (Chapter 1)," accessed December 12, 2023
11. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
12. ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
13. ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 11, 2021
14. ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 11, 2021
15. ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 11, 2021
16. ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 11, 2021
17. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
18. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
19. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 8, 2014
20. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," January 31, 2014
21. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected state administrative officials: Annual salaries by region," accessed February 1, 2012
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 Encyclopedia Virginia, "Attorneys General of Virginia," accessed January 11, 2021

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