Attorney General of Alabama

Alabama Attorney General
General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
Compensation:	$165,381
2024 FY Budget:	$29,992,029
Term limits:	Two consecutive terms
Structure
Length of term:	4 years
Authority:	Constitution of Alabama, Article V, Section 112
Selection Method:	Elected
Current Officeholder
Attorney General of Alabama Steve Marshall Republican Party Assumed office: 2017-02-10
Elections
Next election:	November 3, 2026
Last election:	November 8, 2022
Other Alabama 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

The Attorney General of Alabama is an elected constitutional officer in the Alabama state government. The attorney general serves as the state's chief law officer and chief law enforcement officer. He may also initiate both civil and criminal court action to protect the state's interests or to enforce state law.

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

Current officeholder

The current officeholder is Steve Marshall (R). Marshall was appointed by Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (R) on February 10, 2017. He was elected on November 6, 2018, to serve a full four-year term, beginning in 2019.

Authority

The attorney general's authority derives from Article V, Section 112 of the Alabama Constitution.

Constitution of Alabama, Article V, Section 112

The executive department shall consist of a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney-general, state auditor, secretary of state, state treasurer, superintendent of education, commissioner of agriculture and industries, and a sheriff for each county.

Qualifications

Qualifications for the office of attorney general are described in Article V, Section 132 of the state constitution. Candidates for the office must have been a citizen of the United States for seven years, a resident of Alabama for five years, and at least 25 years of age.

Constitution of Alabama, Article V, Section 132

No person shall be eligible to the office of attorney-general, state auditor, secretary of state, state treasurer, superintendent of education, or commissioner of agriculture and industries unless he shall have been a citizen of the United States at least seven years, and shall have resided in this state at least five years next preceding his election, and shall be at least twenty-five years old when elected.

Elections

Click here to view a large-scale image of the Alabama state government organizational chart, as of 9/11/12.

Per Section 114 of the state constitution, Alabama elects its attorneys general during federal midterm election years (e.g. 2018, 2022, 2026 and 2030). Section 116 sets the attorney general's inauguration for the first Monday after the second Tuesday in the January following an election.

Constitution of Alabama, Article V, Section 114

The governor, lieutenant governor, attorney-general, state auditor, secretary of state, state treasurer, superintendent of education, and commissioner of agriculture and industries shall be elected by the qualified electors of the state at the same time and places appointed for the election of members of the legislature in the year nineteen hundred and two, and in every fourth year thereafter.

Constitution of Alabama, Article V, Section 116

The governor, lieutenant governor, attorney-general, state auditor, secretary of state, state treasurer, superintendent of education, commissioner of agriculture and industries, elected after the ratification of this Constitution, shall hold their respective offices for the term of four years from the first Monday after the second Tuesday in January next succeeding their election, and until their successors shall be elected and qualified.

Term limits

Term limits for the attorney general are laid out in Amendment 282 to the Alabama Constitution, which forbids the attorney general from serving more than two consecutive terms.

Alabama Constitution, Amendment 282:

The governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, state auditor, secretary of state, state treasurer, superintendent of education, and commissioner of agriculture and industries, shall hold their respective offices for the term of four years from the first Monday after the second Tuesday in January next succeeding their election and until their successors shall be elected and qualified. Each of said officers shall be eligible to succeed himself in office, but no person shall be eligible to succeed himself for more than one additional term.

2022

See also: Alabama Attorney General election, 2022

General election

General election for Attorney General of Alabama

Incumbent Steve Marshall defeated Wendell Major in the general election for Attorney General of Alabama on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Marshall (R)	67.9	955,425
		Wendell Major (D)	32.0	450,543
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	1,220

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,407,188
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Wendell Major advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Alabama.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Alabama

Incumbent Steve Marshall defeated Harry Still III in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Alabama on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Marshall	89.9	519,092
		Harry Still III	10.1	58,499

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 577,591
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2018

See also: Alabama Attorney General election, 2018

General election

General election for Attorney General of Alabama

Incumbent Steve Marshall defeated Joseph Siegelman in the general election for Attorney General of Alabama on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Marshall (R)	58.8	1,004,438
		Joseph Siegelman (D)	41.1	702,858
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	1,141

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,708,437 (100.00% precincts reporting)
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Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for Attorney General of Alabama

Incumbent Steve Marshall defeated Troy King in the Republican primary runoff for Attorney General of Alabama on July 17, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Marshall	62.0	211,562
		Troy King	38.0	129,409

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 340,971
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Attorney General of Alabama

Joseph Siegelman defeated Chris Christie in the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Alabama on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joseph Siegelman	54.2	147,923
		Chris Christie	45.8	125,184

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 273,107
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Alabama

Incumbent Steve Marshall and Troy King advanced to a runoff. They defeated Alice Martin and Chess Bedsole in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Alabama on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Marshall	28.3	154,500
✔		Troy King	27.9	151,878
		Alice Martin	23.2	126,735
		Chess Bedsole	20.6	112,062

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 545,175
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Full history

To view the electoral history dating back to 2002 for the office of Attorney General of Alabama, click [show] to expand the section.

2014 See also: Alabama attorney general election, 2014 Attorney General of Alabama, 2014 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Luther Strange Incumbent 58.4% 681,973      Democratic Joseph Lister Hubbard 41.4% 483,771      Nonpartisan Write-in votes 0.2% 2,157 Total Votes 1,167,901 Election results via Alabama Secretary of State 2010 On November 2, 2010, Luther Strange (R) won election to the office of Attorney General of Alabama. He defeated James H. Anderson (D) in the general election. Attorney General of Alabama, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Luther Strange (R) 58.8% 868,520      Democratic James H. Anderson 41.1% 606,270      Write-in N/A 0.1% 1,285 Total Votes 1,476,075 Election results via Alabama Secretary of State. 2006 On November 7, 2006, Troy King won election to the office of Attorney General of Alabama. He defeated John M. Tyson in the general election. Attorney General of Alabama, 2006 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Troy King 53% 653,045      Democratic John M. Tyson 46.9% 576,830      Write-in N/A 0.1% 1,221 Total Votes 1,231,096 Election results via Alabama Secretary of State. 2002 On November 5, 2002, William H. Pryor Jr. won re-election to the office of Attorney General of Alabama. He defeated Boyd Whigham (D) and Wilson Myers (Lib) in the general election. Attorney General of Alabama, 2002 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican William H. Pryor Jr. Incumbent 58.8% 780,524      Democratic Boyd Whigham 38.8% 515,123      Libertarian Wilson Myers 2.2% 29,202      Write-in N/A 0.1% 1,455 Total Votes 1,326,304 Election results via Alabama Secretary of State.

Vacancies

Article V, Section 136 of the Alabama Constitution requires the governor to appoint a replacement if the office of attorney general becomes vacant or if the incumbent "shall become of unsound mind." The replacement serves until the next scheduled election.

Constitution of Alabama, Article V, Section 136'

Should the office of attorney-general, state auditor, secretary of state, state treasurer, superintendent of education, or commissioner of agriculture and industries become vacant from any cause, the governor shall fill such vacancy until the disability is removed or a successor elected and qualified. In case any of said officers shall become of unsound mind, such unsoundness shall be ascertained by the supreme court upon the suggestion of the governor.

Duties

Section 137 of the Alabama Constitution provides that the "attorney general may be required to defend suits against state, political subdivisions, officers, etc." The attorney general's other duties are prescribed by law. Besides representing the state in court, the incumbent is required to give legal advice to state and county officers or agencies and represent the state before the Alabama Supreme Court or state courts of criminal or civil appeals. He may also represent municipalities before appeals courts in cases where the constitutionality of a municipal ordinance is questioned.

The attorney general's office issues an annual report including "suggestions for the suppression of crime and the improvement of criminal administration." He is also required to report on laws held invalid by state courts and give his opinion on the constitutional validity and clarity of bills being considered by the legislature.

Alabama state law requires the attorney general to fulfill several other minor duties, including keeping an official record of all of his correspondence and approving extradition forms.

Divisions

As of January 6, 2021, the attorney general's office includes the following divisions:

• Administrative Services
• Capital Litigation
• Constitutional Defense
• Consumer Interest
• Criminal Appeals
• Criminal Trials
• Executive
• General Civil Litigation
• Information Technology
• Investigations
• Medicaid Fraud
• Opinions Section
• Solicitor General
• Special Prosecutions

State budget

See also: Alabama state budget and finances

The budget for the Attorney General's Office in Fiscal Year 2024 was $29,992,029.

Compensation

See also: Compensation of state executive officers

The salary of the attorney general is established by the Alabama State Legislature, as required by constitutional provision. The Attorney General of Alabama receives the same compensation as an Associate Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Article V, Section 118 of the state constitution requires that changes in compensation take effect in the term after they were passed.

Alabama Constitution, Article V, Section 118

The governor, lieutenant governor, attorney-general, state auditor, secretary of state, state treasurer, superintendent of education, and commissioner of agriculture and industries, shall receive compensation to be fixed by law, which shall not be increased or diminished during the term for which they shall have been elected, and shall, except the lieutenant governor, reside at the state capital during the time they continue in office, except during epidemics.

2022

In 2022, the officer's salary was $165,381, according to the Council of State Governments.

2021

In 2021, the attorney general received a salary of $171,726, according to the Council of State Governments.

2020

In 2020, the attorney general received a salary of $169,001, according to the Council of State Governments.

2019

In 2019, the attorney general received a salary of $168,002, according to the Council of State Governments.

2018

In 2018, the attorney general received a salary of $168,002, according to the Council of State Governments.

2017

In 2017, the attorney general received a salary of $168,002, according to the Council of State Governments.

2016

In 2016, the attorney general received a salary of $168,002, according to the Council of State Governments.

2015

In 2015, the attorney general received a salary of $168,002, according to the Council of State Governments.

2014

In 2014, the attorney general's salary increased to $166,002, according to the Council of State Governments.

2013

In 2013, the attorney general was paid an estimated $160,003. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.

Historical officeholders

There have been 49 attorneys general since 1819.

List of Former Officeholders from 1819-Present
#	Name	Tenure	Party
1	Henry Hitchcock	1819 - 1823
2	Thomas White	1823 - 1825
3	Constantine Perkins	1825 - 1832
4	Peter Martin	1832 - 1836
5	Alexander Meek	1836 - 1836
6	John D. Phelan	1836 - 1838
7	Lincoln Clark	1838 - 1839
8	Matthew W. Lindsay	1839 - 1843
9	Thomas D. Clarke	1843 - 1847
10	William H. Martin	1847 - 1847
11	Marion A. Baldwin	1847 - 1865
12	John W. A. Sanford	1865 - 1868
13	Benjamin Gardner	1868 - 1870
14	John W. A. Sanford	1870 - 1872
15	Henry Tompkins	1878 - 1884
16	Thomas McClellan	1884 - 1889
17	William L. Martin	1889 - 1894
18	William C. Fitts	1894 - 1898
19	Charles G. Brown	1898 - 1903
20	Massey Wilson	1903 - 1907
21	Alexander M. Garber	1907 - 1911
22	Robert Brickell	1911 - 1915
23	William Logan Martin	1915 - 1918
24	F. Lloyd Tate	1918 - 1918
25	Emmet S. Thigpen	1918 - 1919
26	James Q. Smith	1919 - 1921
27	Harwell G. Davis	1921 - 1927
28	Charlie C. McCall	1927 - 1931
29	Thomas E. Knight	1931 - 1935
30	A. A. Carmichael	1935 - 1939
31	Thomas S. Lawson	1939 - 1942
32	William N. McQueen	1943 - 1945
33	William N. McQueen	1945 - 1947
34	A. A. Carmichael	1947 - 1951
35	S. I. Garrett	1951 - 1954
36	Bernard Sykes	1954 - 1955
37	John Malcolm Patterson	1955 - 1959
38	MacDonald Gallion	1959 - 1963
39	Richmond Flowers	1963 - 1967
40	MacDonald Gallion	1967 - 1971
41	William J. Baxley	1971 - 1979
42	Charles A. Graddick	1979 - 1987
43	Don Siegelman	1987 - 1991
44	Jimmy Evans	1991 - 1995
45	Jeff Sessions	1995 - 1997
46	Bill Pryor	1997 - 2004
47	Troy King	2004 - 2011
48	Luther Strange	2011 - 2017
49	Steve Marshall	2017 - Present

Recent news

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

Attorney General of Alabama - Google News

Contact info

Capitol Address:
Office of the Attorney General
500 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36130

Phone: (334) 242-7300

External links

• Alabama Attorney General website