# Arkansas Attorney General

The attorney general of Arkansas, usually known simply as the attorney general (AG), is one of Arkansas's seven constitutional officers. The officeholder serves as the state's top law enforcement officer and consumer advocate.

## History

The attorney general was not originally a state constitutional officer but rather was created by Act 1 of 1843, which designated the Arkansas attorney for the Fifth Judicial District as the attorney general. The first attorney general of Arkansas was Robert W. Johnson. The Arkansas Constitution of 1868 made the post elective, though it required only that the attorney general “perform such duties as are now, or may hereafter, be prescribed by law.” This was reaffirmed in the constitution of 1874. Act 131 of 1911 laid out four general responsibilities of the attorney general's office: 1) to give opinions to state officers and agencies “upon any constitutional or other legal question that may concern the official action of said officers”; 2) to defend the interest of the state in federal court and representing all state officers, boards, and commissions in litigation involving the interests of the state; 3) to furnish any board or commission an opinion as to the validity of the title on any land they seek to purchase; and 4) to make a biennial report to the governor and the Arkansas General Assembly on all transactions of the attorney general's office.

## Role and duties

The attorney general represents state agencies and commissions in courts of law, giving opinions on issues presented by legislators and prosecutors, handling criminal matters and habeas corpus matters in the state, and advocating for citizens on issues pertaining to the environment, antitrust, and consumer protection.

## List of attorneys general

| Name | Took office | Left office | Party |
| Robert Ward Johnson | 1843 | 1848 | Democratic |
| George C. Watkins | 1848 | 1851 | Whig, then Democratic |
| John J. Clendenin | 1851 | 1856 | Democratic |
| Thomas Johnson | 1856 | 1858 | Democratic |
| J. L. Hollowell | 1858 | 1861 | Democratic |
| P. Jordan | 1861 | 1862 | Confederate |
| Sam W. Williams | 1862 | 1864 | Confederate |
| Charles T. Jordan | 1864 | 1865 | Republican |
| R. S. Gantt | 1865 | 1866 | Republican |
| R. H. Deadman | 1866 | 1868 | Republican |
| J. R. Montgomery | 1868 | 1873 | Republican |
| Thomas D. W. Yonley | 1873 | 1874 | Republican |
| J. L. Witherspoon | May 1874 | November 1874 | Democratic |
| Simon P. Hughes | 1874 | 1876 | Democratic |
| W. F. Henderson | 1877 | 1881 | Democratic |
| C. B. Moore | 1881 | 1885 | Democratic |
| Daniel Webster Jones | 1885 | 1889 | Democratic |
| W. E. Atkinson | 1889 | 1893 | Democratic |
| James P. Clarke | 1893 | 1895 | Democratic |
| E. B. Kinsworthy | 1895 | 1899 | Democratic |
| Jeff Davis | 1899 | 1901 | Democratic |
| George W. Murphy | 1901 | 1905 | Democratic |
| Robert L. Rogers | 1905 | 1907 | Democratic |
| William F. Kirby | 1907 | 1909 | Democratic |
| Hal L. Norwood | 1909 | 1913 | Democratic |
| William L. Moose | 1913 | 1915 | Democratic |
| Wallace Davis | 1915 | 1917 | Democratic |
| John D. Arbuckle | 1917 | 1921 | Democratic |
| J. S. Utley | 1921 | 1925 | Democratic |
| W. H. Applegate | 1925 | 1929 | Democratic |
| Hal L. Norwood | 1929 | 1934 | Democratic |
| Walter L. Pope | 1934 | 1935 | Democratic |
| Carl E. Bailey | 1935 | 1937 | Democratic |
| Jack Holt, Sr. | 1937 | 1943 | Democratic |
| Guy E. Williams | 1943 | 1949 | Democratic |
| Ike Murry | 1949 | 1953 | Democratic |
| Tom Gentry | 1953 | 1957 | Democratic |
| Bruce Bennett | 1957 | 1961 | Democratic |
| J. Frank Holt | 1961 | December 1962 | Democratic |
| Jack Holt, Jr. (acting) | December 1962 | 1963 | Democratic |
| Bruce Bennett | 1963 | January 10, 1967 | Democratic |
| Joe Purcell | January 10, 1967 | January 12, 1971 | Democratic |
| Ray Thornton | January 12, 1971 | January 9, 1973 | Democratic |
| Rodney Parham (acting) | January 9, 1973 | January 9, 1973 | Democratic |
| Jim Guy Tucker | January 9, 1973 | January 3, 1977 | Democratic |
| Billy Roy Wilson (acting) | 1976 | 1977 | Democratic |
| Bill Clinton | January 3, 1977 | January 9, 1979 | Democratic |
| Steve Clark | January 9, 1979 | November 1990 | Democratic |
| Ron Fields (acting) | November 1990 | December 1990 | Democratic |
| Mary Stallcup (acting) | December 1990 | January 15, 1991 | Democratic |
| Winston Bryant | January 15, 1991 | January 12, 1999 | Democratic |
| Mark Pryor | January 12, 1999 | January 3, 2003 | Democratic |
| Leon Johnson (acting) | January 3, 2003 | January 14, 2003 | Democratic |
| Mike Beebe | January 14, 2003 | January 9, 2007 | Democratic |
| Dustin McDaniel | January 9, 2007 | January 13, 2015 | Democratic |
| Leslie Rutledge | January 13, 2015 | January 10, 2023 | Republican |
| Tim Griffin | January 10, 2023 | present | Republican |