Pennsylvania Attorney General

The Pennsylvania attorney general is the chief law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It became an elected office in 1980.Penn. Const. Art. 4, § 4.1 The current attorney general is Republican Dave Sunday.

List of attorneys general
President/Council appointed attorneys general
ImageNameTook officeLeft officeCommentJohn Morris Jr.July 16, 1777November 1, 1777pro temMorris was Clerk of the General Assembly60pxJonathan D. SergeantNovember 1, 1777November 23, 1780Resigned60pxWilliam BradfordNovember 23, 1780—Re-commissioned

Attorneys general appointed between 1791 and 1920
ImageNameTook officeLeft officeComment60pxWilliam BradfordJune 9, 1791August 20, 1791ResignedBradford accepted state Supreme Court appointment60pxJared IngersollAugust 20, 1791May 10, 1800Joseph B. McKeanMay 10, 1800July 22, 180860pxMahlon DickersonJuly 22, 1808January 9, 180960pxWalter FranklinJanuary 9, 1809October 2, 1810ResignedFranklin accepted state judicial appointmentJoseph ReedOctober 2, 1810January 26, 181160pxRichard RushJanuary 26, 1811December 13, 181160pxJared IngersollDecember 13, 1811December 21, 181660pxAmos EllmakerDecember 21, 1816July 7, 1819Thomas SergeantJuly 7, 1819December 20, 1820Thomas ElderDecember 20, 1820December 18, 1823Frederick SmithDecember 18, 1823February 5, 1828ResignedSmith accepted a position as Justice on the state Supreme Court60pxCalvin BlytheFebruary 5, 1828May 6, 182860pxAmos EllmakerMay 6, 1828August 17, 1829Philip S. MarkleyAugust 17, 1829February 10, 1830Samuel DouglasFebruary 10, 1830January 29, 1833Ellis LewisJanuary 29, 1833October 14, 1833ResignedLewis accepted a position as President Judge of the Eighth Judicial District60pxGeorge M. DallasOctober 14, 1833December 1, 1835James ToddSee article for citations regarding the dates.December 18, 1835April 2, 1838ResignedTodd accepted a Philadelphia judicial appointment.60pxWilliam B. ReedApril 2, 1838January 15, 1839Ovid F. JohnsonJanuary 15, 1839January 21, 184560pxJohn K. KaneJanuary 21, 1845June 17, 1846This is the date of his judicial commission; there is no date listed in The Pennsylvania Manual.ResignedKane accepted a federal judiciary appointment.60pxJohn M. ReadJune 23, 1846December 18, 1846Resigned60pxBenjamin ChampneysDecember 18, 1846July 31, 184860pxJames CooperJuly 31, 1848December 30, 1848ResignedCornelius DarraghJanuary 4, 1849April 28, 1851Thomas E. FranklinApril 28, 1851January 21, 185260pxJames CampbellJanuary 21, 1852March 8, 1853ResignedCampbell accepted the position of U. S. Postmaster General.Francis Wade HughesMarch 14, 1853January 17, 1855Thomas E. FranklinJanuary 17, 1855January 19, 1858John C. KnoxJanuary 19, 1858January 16, 186160pxSamuel A. PurvianceJanuary 16, 1861June 3, 186160pxWilliam M. MeredithJune 3, 1861January 16, 186760pxBenjamin Harris BrewsterJanuary 16, 1867October 25, 1869Resigned60pxF. Carroll BrewsterOctober 26, 1869January 22, 1873Samuel E. DimmickJanuary 22, 1873October 11, 1875Died in officeGeorge LearDecember 7, 1875February 26, 187960pxHenry W. PalmerFebruary 26, 1879January 17, 1883Lewis C. CassidyJanuary 17, 1883January 18, 1887William S. KirkpatrickJanuary 18, 1887January 10, 189160pxW. U. HenselJanuary 10, 1891January 15, 189560pxHenry Clay McCormickJanuary 15, 1895January 18, 1899John P. ElkinJanuary 18, 1899January 21, 1903Hampton L. CarsonJanuary 21, 1903January 16, 1907Moses Hampton ToddJanuary 16, 1907January 17, 191160pxJohn C. BellJanuary 17, 1911January 19, 191560pxFrancis Shunk BrownJanuary 19, 1915January 21, 191960pxWilliam I. SchafferJanuary 21, 1919December 14, 1920Resigned

Attorneys general appointed between 1920 and 1980
ImageNameTook officeLeft officeGovernor(s) 60px George E. Alter December 14, 1920 January 16, 1923  William Sproul 60px George Washington Woodruff January 16, 1923 January 18, 1927  Gifford Pinchot Thomas J. Baldrige January 18, 1927 January 28, 1929Resigned John Stuchell Fisher 60px Cyrus E. Woods January 28, 1929 November 1, 1930William A. SchnaderNovember 1, 1930January 15, 1935  Gifford Pinchot 60px Charles J. Margiotti January 15, 1935 April 27, 1938 George Howard Earle III 60px Guy K. Bard April 27, 1938 January 17, 1939 Claude T. Reno January 17, 1939 December 31, 1942 Arthur James E. Russell Shockley December 31, 1942 January 19, 194360pxJames H. DuffJanuary 19, 1943January 21, 1947  Edward Martin John C. Bell Jr. T. McKeen Chidsey January 21, 1947 July 5, 1950 James H. Duff60pxCharles J. MargiottiJuly 5, 1950March 2, 1951 John S. Fine Robert E. Woodside March 7, 1951 October 1, 1953 Frank Truscott October 13, 1953 January 18, 1955 Herbert B. Cohen January 18, 1955 December 17, 1956 George M. Leader Thomas D. McBride December 17, 1956 January 20, 1959 Anne X. Alpern January 20, 1959 August 28, 1961 David L. Lawrence David Henry Stahl August 29, 1961 January 15, 1963 Walter E. Alessandroni January 15, 1963 May 8, 1966 William Scranton Edward Friedman May 11, 1966 January 17, 1967 William C. Sennett January 17, 1967 July 3, 1970 Raymond P. Shafer Fred Speaker July 4, 1970 January 19, 1971 J. Shane Creamer January 25, 1971 December 31, 1972 Milton Shapp Israel Packel January 2, 1973 December 23, 1974 Robert P. Kane January 6, 1975 June 7, 1978 Gerald Gornish June 7, 1978 December 31, 1978 J. Justin Blewitt Jr. (acting) January 1, 1979 January 16, 1979 60px Edward G. Biester Jr. January 16, 1979 May 19, 1980 Dick Thornburgh 60px Harvey Bartle III May 20, 1980 January 20, 1981

Occupants of the elected Pennsylvania Attorney General office (1981–present)
ImageNameTook officeLeft office LeRoy S. ZimmermanJanuary 20, 1981January 17, 1989 Ernie PreateJanuary 17, 1989June 23, 1995 Walter W. Cohen (acting)June 26, 1995October 3, 199560px Tom CorbettOctober 3, 1995January 21, 199760px Mike FisherJanuary 21, 1997December 15, 200360px Jerry PappertDecember 18, 2003January 18, 200560px Tom CorbettJanuary 18, 2005January 18, 2011 William Ryan (acting)January 18, 2011May 27, 2011 Linda KellyMay 27, 2011January 15, 201360px Kathleen KaneJanuary 15, 2013August 17, 201660px Bruce Castor (acting)August 17, 2016August 31, 201660px Bruce BeemerAugust 31, 2016January 17, 201760px Josh ShapiroJanuary 17, 2017January 17, 2023 Michelle HenryJanuary 17, 2023January 21, 202560px  Dave SundayJanuary 21, 2025present

References

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