Attorney General of Nevada

Nevada Attorney General
General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
Compensation:	$154,198
2025 FY Budget:	$80,290,015
Term limits:	Two terms
Structure
Length of term:	4 years
Authority:	Nevada Constitution, Article V, Section 19
Selection Method:	Elected
Current Officeholder
Attorney General of Nevada Aaron Ford Democratic Party Assumed office: 2019-01-07
Elections
Next election:	November 3, 2026
Last election:	November 8, 2022
Other Nevada Executive Offices
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Controller • Superintendent of Public Instruction • Agriculture Director • Insurance Commissioner • Director of Conservation and Natural Resources • Labor Commissioner • Public Utilities Commission • Employment, Training and Rehabilitation • Board of Regents

The Attorney General of Nevada is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the Nevada state government. The attorney general is the state's chief legal counsel. He or she represents the people of Nevada in civil and criminal matters before trial, appellate and the supreme courts of Nevada and the United States. The attorney general also serves as legal counsel to state officers and, with few exceptions, to state agencies, boards and commissions.

The attorney general may also work with or help district attorneys, local law enforcement, and federal and international criminal justice agencies in the administration of justice. In addition, the attorney general establishes and operates projects and programs to protect Nevadans from fraud or illegal activities that target consumers or threaten public safety, and enforces laws that safeguard the environment and natural resources. Under the Nevada Constitution, the attorney general is elected to a four-year term.

Nevada has a divided government where neither party holds a triplex. The Republican Party controls the office of governor, while the Democratic Party controls the offices of attorney general and secretary of state.

Current officeholder

The current officeholder is Aaron Ford (D). He was first elected to office on November 6, 2018.

Authority

The Nevada Constitution addresses the office of attorney general in Article V, the Executive Department.

Under Article V, Section 19:

A Secretary of State, a Treasurer, a Controller, and an Attorney General, shall be elected at the same time and places, and in the same manner as the Governor.

Qualifications

There are no specific qualifications for this office.

Elections

Nevada state government organizational chart

The Attorney General of Nevada is a publicly elected official who serves a term of four years in length.

2022

See also: Nevada Attorney General election, 2022

General election

General election for Attorney General of Nevada

Incumbent Aaron Ford defeated Sigal Chattah in the general election for Attorney General of Nevada on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aaron Ford (D)	52.3	511,263
		Sigal Chattah (R)	44.4	434,084
		Other/Write-in votes	3.4	33,135

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 978,482
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• John T. Kennedy (L) (Unofficially withdrew)

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Aaron Ford advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Nevada.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Stuart MacKie (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Nevada

Sigal Chattah defeated Tisha Black in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Nevada on June 14, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sigal Chattah	51.0	112,941
		Tisha Black	39.7	88,019
		Other/Write-in votes	9.3	20,545

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 221,505
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2018

See also: Nevada Attorney General election, 2018

General election

General election for Attorney General of Nevada

Aaron Ford defeated Wesley Duncan and Joel Hansen in the general election for Attorney General of Nevada on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aaron Ford (D)	47.2	456,225
		Wesley Duncan (R)	46.8	451,692
		Joel Hansen (Independent American Party)	3.3	32,259
		Other/Write-in votes	2.6	25,577

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 965,753 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Attorney General of Nevada

Aaron Ford defeated Stuart MacKie in the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Nevada on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aaron Ford	78.1	94,699
		Stuart MacKie	21.9	26,619

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 121,318
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Nevada

Wesley Duncan defeated Craig Mueller in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Nevada on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Wesley Duncan	65.5	82,453
		Craig Mueller	34.5	43,361

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 125,814
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2014

See also: Nevada Attorney General election, 2014

Attorney General of Nevada, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Adam Paul Laxalt	46.2%	251,379
	Democratic	Ross Miller	45.3%	246,629
	Independent American	Jonathan Hansen	5.6%	30,513
	Independent	None of these candidates	2.9%	15,629
Total Votes				544,150
Election results via Nevada Secretary of State

Full history

To view the electoral history dating back to 2002 for the office of Nevada attorney general, click [show] to expand the section.

2010 See also: Nevada Attorney General election, 2010 On November 2, 2010, Catherine Cortez Masto won re-election to the office of Attorney General of Nevada. She defeated Travis Barrick and Joel F. Hansen in the general election. Attorney General of Nevada, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Catherine Cortez Masto Incumbent 57.3% 371,887      Republican Travis Barrick 38.7% 251,447      Ind. American Joel F. Hansen 4% 26,060 Total Votes 649,394 Election results via Nevada Secretary of State - 2010 General Election Results. 2006 On November 7, 2006, Catherine Cortez Masto won election to the office of Attorney General of Nevada. She defeated Don Chairez in the general election. Attorney General of Nevada, 2006 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Catherine Cortez Masto 56.4% 303,587      Democratic Don Chairez 38% 204,691      N/A Write-in 5.7% 30,474 Total Votes 538,752 Election results via Nevada Secretary of State Secretary of State - 2006 General Election Results. 2002 On November 5, 2002, Brian Sandoval won election to the office of Attorney General of Nevada. He defeated John Hunt and Jonathan Hansen in the general election. Attorney General of Nevada, 2002 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Brian Sandoval 58.5% 290,471      Democratic John Hunt 33.7% 167,513      Independent American Jonathan Hansen 4% 20,018      N/A Write-in 3.8% 18,779 Total Votes 496,781 Election results via Nevada Office of the Secretary of State.

Term limits

Term limits for the attorney general are defined in Article 5, Section 19 of the Nevada Constitution, which prohibits the attorney general from serving more than two terms.

Nevada Constitution, Article 5, Section 19-2:

Any elector shall be eligible to any of these offices, but no person may be elected to any of them more than twice, or more than once if he has previously held the office by election or appointment.

Vacancies

As established by Article 5, Section 8 of the Nevada Constitution, in the event of a vacancy, the governor fills the office by appointment. The appointee serves until a successor is elected and qualified.

Duties

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches the constitutional or statutory text that outlines the key responsibilities of a state executive office; information for the Attorney General of Nevada has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

Divisions

As of January 11, 2021, the office is divided into the following divisions:

• Bureau of Consumer Protection
• Bureau of Criminal Justice
• Bureau of Governmental Affairs
• Bureau of Litigation
• Boards & Commissions

Campaign finance

Main article: Campaign finance requirements for Nevada ballot measures

The Attorney General of Nevada is responsible for all disciplinary matters of the state's campaign finance laws. All complaints are referred to the attorney general from the Nevada Secretary of State's Office. The first step in filing a complaint against a person or a committee is to file with the secretary of state. The attorney general handles all complaints regardless if it involves civil or criminal law.

State budget

See also: Nevada state budget and finances

The Office of the Attorney General's budget for Fiscal Year 2025 was $80,290,015.

Compensation

See also: Compensation of state executive officers

Article 17, Section 5 of the Nevada Constitution mandates the salary of the attorney general for the first term in office. However Article 15, Section 9 provides that the state legislature may at any time increase or decrease the compensation, effective during the subsequent term. Since January 2011, and on the first Monday of every fourth year after, the attorney general’s salary is increased by the cumulative percentage increase in the salaries of classified Nevada employees during the previous term.

The attorney general is may not receive compensation from engaging in the private practice of law.

2022

In 2022, the officer's salary was $154,198, according to the Council of State Governments.

2021

In 2021, the attorney general received a salary of $154,198, according to the Council of State Governments.

2020

In 2020, the attorney general received a salary of $141,086, according to the Council of State Governments.

2019

In 2019, the attorney general received a salary of $141,086, according to the Council of State Governments.

2018

In 2018, the attorney general received a salary of $141,086, according to the Council of State Governments.

2017

In 2017, the attorney general received a salary of $141,086, according to the Council of State Governments.

2016

In 2016, the attorney general received a salary of $141,086, according to the Council of State Governments.

2015

In 2015, the attorney general received a salary of $141,086, according to the Council of State Governments.

2014

In 2014, the attorney general received a salary of $141,086, according to the Council of State Governments.

2013

In 2013, the attorney general was paid an estimated $141,086.

2010

In 2010, the attorney general was paid an estimated $133,000 according to the Council of State Governments.

Historical officeholders

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Attorney General of Nevada has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

Recent news

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

Attorney General of Nevada - Google News

Contact information

Capitol Address:
Office of the Attorney General
Carson City Office
100 North Carson Street
Carson City, NV 89701-4717

Phone: (775) 684-1100
Fax: (775) 684-1108

External links

Suggest a link

• Office of the Nevada Attorney General