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Delaware Attorney General

Head of the Delaware Department of Justice


Head of the Delaware Department of Justice

FieldValue
postAttorney General
insigniaSeal of the Attorney General of Delaware.jpg
insigniasize120px
bodyDelaware
imageFile:Kathy Jennings CFPB.png
incumbentKathy Jennings
incumbentsinceJanuary 1, 2019
residenceWilmington, Delaware
termlengthFour years, no term limits
inauguralGunning Bedford Jr.
February 1, 1783
successionThird
websiteDelaware Department of Justice - Attorney General Office

February 1, 1783 The attorney general of Delaware is a constitutional officer of the U.S. state of Delaware, and is the chief law officer and the head of the State Department of Justice. On January 1, 2019, Kathy Jennings was sworn in as the 46th attorney general of Delaware.

Description of the office

The attorney general is elected to a four-year term in the "off-year" state election along with the state treasurer and state auditor, two years before/after the election of the governor. The attorney general, the state treasurer, state auditor, and state insurance commissioner offices are intended to serve as restraints to the governor's exclusive executive authority. The attorney general office existed in various forms prior to the ratification of the Delaware Constitution of 1776, which continued the existing colonial tradition of granting the governor the power to appoint the attorney general for a five-year tenure. With the ratification of the Delaware Constitution of 1897, the post was converted to its present four-year elected form, also establishing the attorney general as third in line of succession to the office of governor, after the lieutenant governor and secretary of state.

Officeholders

Gunning Bedford Jr. was the first holder of the office after American independence. The office was held from 2007 to 2015 by Beau Biden, who was elected in 2006 and took office on January 2, 2007. He was a Democrat and the eldest son of 46th U.S. President and longest-serving U.S. Senator from Delaware Joe Biden.

#ImageNameTerm of officePolitical party
1[[File:Gunning bedford jr.jpg60px]]Gunning Bedford Jr.1778–1790
2Nicholas Ridgely1790–1801
3[[File:NicholasVanDyke (cropped).png60px]]Nicholas Van Dyke1801–1806Federalist
4Outerbridge Horsey1806–1810Federalist
5[[File:Thomas Clayton US.jpg60px]]Thomas Clayton1810–1815Federalist
6James Rogers1815–1830
7Robert Frame1830–1835
8James Rogers1835–1840
9Edward W. Gilpin1840–1850
10[[File:Willard Saulsbury, Sr. - Brady-Handy.jpg60px]]Willard Saulsbury Sr.1850–1855Democratic
11[[File:Hon. George P. Fisher, Del - NARA - 526255.jpg60px]]George P. Fisher1855–1860Unionist
12Alfred Wooten1860–1864
13Jacob Moore1864–1869Republican
14[[File:Charles B. Lore (Delaware Congressman).jpg60px]]Charles B. Lore1869–1874Democratic
15[[File:John B. Penington (Delaware Congressman).jpg60px]]John B. Penington1874–1879Democratic
16[[File:Senator-elect George Gray - Leslie.png60px]]George Gray1879–1885Democratic
17John Henry Paynter1885–1887
18John Biggs1887–1892
19John R. Nicholson1892–1895
20Robert C. White1895–1901
21Herbert H. Ward1901–1905
22Robert H. Richards1905–1909
23Andrew C. Gray1909–1913
24[[File:WOLCOTT, J., SENATOR LCCN2016860177 (cropped).jpg60px]]Josiah O. Wolcott1913–1917Democratic
25David J. Reinhardt1917–1921
26Sylvester D. Townsend Jr.1921–1925
27Clarence A. Southerland1925–1929Republican
28Reuben Satterthwaite Jr.1929–1933
29Daniel J. Layton1933Republican
30P. Warren Green1933–1939
31James R. Morford1939–1943
32Clair J. Killoran1943–1947
33Albert W. James1947–1951
34H. Albert Young1951–1955
35Joseph D. Craven1955–1959Democratic
36Januar D. Bove Jr.1959–1963Republican
37[[File:David Buckson (1969).png60px]]David P. Buckson1963–1971Republican
38W. Laird Stabler Jr.1971–1975Republican
39Richard R. Wier Jr.1975–1979Democratic
40[[File:RSGebelein1.jpg60px]]Richard S. Gebelein1979–1983Republican
41[[File:Charles Oberly US Attorney.JPG60px]]Charles Oberly1983–1995Democratic
42M. Jane Brady1995–2005Republican
43[[File:Brigadier General Carl C. Danberg.jpg60px]]Carl C. Danberg2005–2007Democratic
44[[File:BeauBiden-DOJ2013 (cropped).jpg60px]]Beau Biden2007–2015Democratic
45[[File:DennM (cropped).JPG60px]]Matthew Denn2015–2019Democratic
46[[File:Kathy Jennings CFPB.png60px]]Kathy Jennings2019–presentDemocratic

Sources

References

References

  1. (January 1, 2019). "Jennings, McGuiness, Davis sworn in to new elected positions". WDEL 101.7 FM.
  2. (April 15, 2017). "DelMar History: JUDGE JOHN HENRY PAYNTER OF SUSSEX DELAWARE".
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