# Attorney General of Minnesota

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.
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. The attorney general may also be recalled by the voters or removed from office through an impeachment trial.

## 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 both state and federal court as well as in administrative proceedings, such as matters of adjudication or rulemaking. 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.
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.

## List of attorneys general
### Minnesota Territory

| Image | Name | Took office | Left office | Political party |
| | Lorenzo A. Babcock | 1849 | 1853 | Whig |
| | LaFayette Emmett | 1853 | 1858 | Democratic |
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)  Union Democrat (1)

### State of Minnesota

| 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 | Hubert Humphrey III | 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 |
* Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party: On April 15, 1944, the state Democratic Party and the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party merged and created the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL). It is affiliated with the national Democratic Party.