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Virginia Attorney General

Attorney general for the U.S. state of Virginia

Field	Value
post	Attorney General
body	Virginia
insignia	Seal of the Attorney General of Virginia.jpg
insigniacaption	Seal of the attorney general of Virginia
image	Jay Jones Speaks at rally in Fairfax City (cropped).png
incumbent	Jay Jones
incumbentsince	January 17, 2026
type	Elected constitutional position
style	The Honorable
termlength	Four years
termlength_qualified	no term limits
formation	1776
first	Edmund Randolph
website

The attorney general of Virginia is an elected constitutional position that holds an executive office in the government of Virginia. Attorneys general are elected for a four-year term in the year following a presidential election. There are no term limits restricting the number of terms someone can serve as attorney general.

History

In the Colony of Virginia, attorneys general were typically appointed by the king of England, with vacancies in the office filled by the appointment of the colonial governor or lieutenant governor, sometimes in consultation with the governor's council. The Virginia Constitution of 1851 provided for the popular election of the attorney general.

Mary Sue Terry, sworn in in 1986, was Virginia's first female attorney general. Jason Miyares, sworn in on January 15, 2022, became the state's first Latino attorney general.

Qualifications

The position of attorney general is established by Article V, Section 15 of the Constitution of Virginia, and they are elected for four years and serve concurrently with the governor. All candidates for attorney general must be at least thirty years old, a citizen of the United States, and have the same qualifications required of a Virginia Circuit Court judge.

Responsibilities

The attorney general represents the legal interests of the people of Virginia and agencies and boards of the state's government. By law, the attorney general must represent the state and its constituent agencies unless it is impractical to do so, in which case private legal representation may be contracted to serve in their place. They are responsible for aiding investigative activities into certain criminal activities, enforcing certain laws, and providing official advice on questions of law to members of the Virginia General Assembly and other state officials. The attorney general can be impeached and removed from office by the Virginia General Assembly.

The office of attorney general is led by the attorney general. Under them serve a chief deputy attorney general, four deputy attorneys general, and various other legal and support staff.

List of attorneys general

Colonial Virginia

Records of this period are sparse. The attorney general was appointed by the King, a combination of the governor and council, or the governor or acting governor. There was no term of office, and the office may have been vacant for extended periods.

Name	Term	Notes
Richard Lee	October 12, 1643 – c. 1651	Appointed by Governor William Berkeley and Council
(Office not in use?)	1652–1660	Office apparently vacant during the Interregnum
Peter Jenings	Before June 25, 1670 – c. October 12, 1670	Reappointed by Charles II of England on September 15, 1670
George Jordan	October 12, 1670 – at least October 3, 1672	Appointed by Governor William Berkeley and Council
Robert Beverley	March 10, 1676 (appointed)	Appointed by Governor William Berkeley and Council
George Jordan	Acting on May 20, 1677
William Sherwood	Early March 1677 – at least until November 25, 1678
Edward Hill	appointed by Deputy Governor Henry Chicheley on September 27, 1679.
Edmund Jenings	1680 – before November 16, 1686
George Brent	Before November 16, 1686 – before May 1, 1688	Acting
Edmund Jenings	c. May 1, 1688 – June 10, 1691
Edward Chilton	October 20, 1691 (sworn) – April 1694	Appointed by Governor Francis Nicholson. Resigned.
William Randolph	April 1694 (sworn) – October 29, 1698	Appointed by Governor Francis Nicholson. Resigned.
Bartholomew Fowler	October 29, 1698 – September 4, 1700	Appointed by Governor Francis Nicholson. Resigned.
Benjamin Harrison III	October 17, 1700 – c. 1702	Appointed by Governor Francis Nicholson and Council.
Stevens Thomson	March 2, 1704 (sworn) – February 1714	Privy Council approved appointment July 30, 1703. Died in office.
John Clayton	1714 – November 18, 1737	last1=Tarter	first1=Brent	title=John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737)	url=http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Clayton_John_ca_1666-1737	publisher=Encyclopedia Virginia	access-date=1 July 2015}}
John Randolph	April 22, 1726 – late 1727 or early 1728	Appointed acting by Lieutenant Governor William Gooch in Clayton's absence
John Clayton	late 1727 or early 1728 – November 18, 1737	Reappointed by royal warrant after February 29, 1728. Died in office
Edward Barradall	Acting between November 17 and 25, 1737 – June 19, 1743	Appointed acting by Lieutenant Governor William Gooch, followed by warrant March 7, 1738, died in office
Thomas Nelson	Between June 19 and 27, 1743 – summer 1744	Appointed acting by Lieutenant Governor William Gooch
Peyton Randolph	May 7, 1744 (warrant) – sometime before January 29, 1754	Office declared forfeit on June 20, 1754
Peyton Randolph	May 13, 1755 (warrant) – sometime soon after November 22, 1766	Resigned
George Wythe	c. January 29, 1754 – between January 20 and February 10, 1755	Appointed acting by Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie
George Wythe	c. after November 22, 1766 – between June 4 and 11, 1767	Appointed acting by Lieutenant Governor Francis Fauquier
John Randolph	Between June 4 and 11, 1767 – early September 1775 (fled)	Fled Virginia in September 1775

Virginia (1776–1857)

From 1776 to 1851, the attorney general was elected by the General Assembly, or, in case of vacancy, appointed by the governor for an undefined term. The Virginia Constitution of 1851 introduced popular election and four-year terms. After the 1851 constitution, vacancies would be filled by the General Assembly, if they were in session, or by the governor.

Image	Name	Term	Party	Notes
[[File:EdRand.jpg	60px]]	Edmund Randolph	early July 1776 – November 30, 1786		Elected by convention
	James Innes	November 30, 1786 – November 13, 1796		Resigned
[[File:Marshall-john-engraving-LOC-1808.jpg	60px]]	John Marshall	mid-October 1794 – late March 1795		Acting
[[File:Robert Brooke Virginia Governor.jpg	60px]]	Robert Brooke	mid-November 1796 – February 27, 1800		Democratic-Republican	Died in office
[[File:Philip Norborne Nicholas, head-and-shoulders portrait, right profile LCCN2007676918.jpg	60px]]	Philip Norborne Nicholas	March 15, 1800 – January 7, 1819		Democratic-Republican	Appointed by Governor James Monroe, elected by General Assembly, resigned
	John Robertson	January 21, 1819 – mid-October 1834		Democratic	Resigned
	Sidney Smith Baxter	December 11, 1834 – January 1, 1852		Democratic
	Willis Perry Bocock	January 1, 1852 – May 15, 1857		Democratic	Resigned

Civil War and Reconstruction

Tucker served as the attorney general of Confederate Virginia throughout the Civil War. Wheat and Bowden served as the attorneys general for Restored Government of Virginia. From 1865 to 1870, the commanding general of the military district of Virginia appointed the office.

Image	Name	Term	Party	Notes
[[File:John Randolph Tucker 1823-1897 - Brady-Handy.jpg	60px]]	John Randolph Tucker	June 13, 1857 – May 9, 1865		Democratic	Confederate attorney general throughout war. Left office when government abandoned Richmond.
	James S. Wheat	June 21, 1861 – December 7, 1863		Republican	Elected at the Wheeling Convention and then in a May 1862 election for the Restored Government of Virginia in Wheeling.
	Thomas Russell Bowden	December 7, 1863 – August 1, 1869		Union	Attorney general for the Restored Government of Virginia in Wheeling, then Alexandria, after West Virginia separated, and in post-war Reconstruction Virginia.
	Charles Whittlesey	September 10, 1869 – January 19, 1870		Republican	Appointed and removed by Brigadier General Edward Richard Sprigg Canby
	James Craig Taylor	January 19, 1870 – January 1, 1874		Conservative Party of Virginia	Appointed by Brigadier General Canby after winning election (moving forward swearing-in date)

Virginia (1874–present)

Image	Name	Term	Party	Notes
[[File:Belles, beaux and brains of the 60's (1909) (14596404537).jpg	60px]]	Raleigh Travers Daniel	January 1, 1874 – August 16, 1877		Conservative Party of Virginia	Died in office
[[File:James G. Field.jpg	60px]]	James Gavin Field	August 29, 1877 – January 1, 1882		Conservative Party of Virginia	Appointed and then elected
	Francis Simpson Blair	January 1, 1882 – January 1, 1886		Readjuster Party
[[File:Rufus Ayers.jpg	60px]]	Rufus A. Ayers	January 1, 1886 – January 1, 1890		Democratic
[[File:R. Taylor Scott.png	60px]]	R. Taylor Scott	January 1, 1890 – August 5, 1897		Democratic	Died in office
	Richard Carter Scott	August 11, 1897 – January 1, 1898		Democratic	appointed by Governor Charles T. O'Ferrall
[[File:Picture of Andrew Jackson Montague.jpg	60px]]	Andrew Jackson Montague	January 1, 1898 – January 1, 1902		Democratic	Became governor January 1, 1902
[[File:William Alexander Anderson.jpg	60px]]	William Alexander Anderson	January 1, 1902 – February 1, 1910		Democratic
	Samuel Walker Williams	February 1, 1910 – February 2, 1914		Democratic
[[File:JGPollard (cropped).jpg	60px]]	John Garland Pollard	February 2, 1914 – January 5, 1918		Democratic	Resigned.
[[File:Josiah D Hank Jr.jpg	60px]]	Josiah D. Hank Jr.	January 5, 1918 - February 1, 1918		Democratic	Appointed by Governor Henry C. Stuart
[[File:John R Saunders 1912.jpg	60px]]	John R. Saunders	February 1, 1918 – March 17, 1934		Democratic	Died in office
[[File:Abram Penn Staples.png	60px]]	Abram Penn Staples	March 22, 1934 – October 6, 1947		Democratic	Resigned to become judge of the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals
	Harvey Black Apperson	October 7, 1947 – February 2, 1948		Democratic	Appointed by Governor; Died in office
[[File:J. Lindsay Almond (VA).png	60px]]	J. Lindsay Almond	February 11, 1948 – September 16, 1957		Democratic	Resigned to run for Governor
	Kenneth Cartwright Patty	September 1957 – January 1958		Democratic	Appointed by Governor
[[File:Albertis Harrison 1962.jpg	60px]]	Albertis Sydney Harrison	January 1958 – April 1961		Democratic	Resigned to run for Governor
[[File:Senator F T Gray 1982.jpg	60px]]	Frederick Thomas Gray	May 1961 – January 1962		Democratic	Appointed by Governor
	Robert Young Button	January 1962 – January 1970		Democratic
[[File:Official portrait of Andrew P. Miller, Attorney General of Virginia.jpg	60px]]	Andrew Pickens Miller	January 1970 – January 1977		Democratic	Resigned to run for Governor
	Anthony Francis Troy	January 1977 – January 1978		Democratic
[[File:Marshall Coleman 1976.jpg	60px]]	J. Marshall Coleman	January 14, 1978 – January 16, 1982		Republican
[[File:Gerald Baliles 1986.jpg	60px]]	Gerald Baliles	January 16, 1982 – June 30, 1985		Democratic	Resigned to run for Governor
	William Broaddus	July 1, 1985 – January 11, 1986		Democratic
	Mary Sue Terry	January 11, 1986 – January 28, 1993		Democratic	First Female Attorney General
	Stephen D. Rosenthal	January 29, 1993 – January 15, 1994		Democratic
[[File:Jim Gilmore 2004 NSTAC crop.jpg	60px]]	Jim Gilmore	January 15, 1994 – June 11, 1997		Republican	Resigned to run for Governor
	Richard Cullen	June 11, 1997 – January 17, 1998		Republican
	Mark Earley	January 17, 1998 – June 4, 2001		Republican	Resigned to run for Governor
	Randolph A. Beales	July 11, 2001 – January 12, 2002		Republican
[[File:Jerry Kilgore (2004) (cropped).jpg	60px]]	Jerry Kilgore	January 12, 2002 – February 1, 2005		Republican	Resigned to run for Governor
	Judith Jagdmann	February 1, 2005 – January 14, 2006		Republican
[[File:Bob McDonnell (4379673749) (cropped) (cropped).jpg	60px]]	Bob McDonnell	January 14, 2006 – February 20, 2009		Republican	Resigned to run for Governor
	Bill Mims	February 20, 2009 – January 16, 2010		Republican
[[File:Ken Cuccinelli by Gage Skidmore cropped.jpg	60px]]	Ken Cuccinelli	January 16, 2010 – January 11, 2014		Republican
[[File:Mark Herring in 2013.jpg	60px]]	Mark Herring	January 11, 2014 – January 15, 2022		Democratic
[[File:Jason Miyares in November 2021.jpg	60px]]	Jason Miyares	January 15, 2022 – January 17, 2026		Republican	First Hispanic and Latino American attorney general.
[[File:Jay Jones Speaks at rally in Fairfax City (cropped) (cropped).png	60px]]	Jay Jones	January 17, 2026 – present		Democratic	First African-American attorney general.

References

Works cited

References

[http://www.nga.org/files/pdf/BOS4-9.pdf "Constitutional and Statutory Provisions For Number of Consecutive Terms of Elected State Officials"], [[National Governors Association]]. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
Elsman, Dale. (January 12, 1986). "Baliles, Wilder, Ms. Terry sworn in, say state 'leading the nation again'". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Mirshahi, Dean. (January 15, 2022). "Jason Miyares, sworn in as attorney general, makes history as first Latino to hold statewide office in Virginia". Nexstar Media.
"Constitution of Virginia". Virginia's Legislative Information System.
"About the Office". Attorney General of Virginia.
"Attorneys General of Virginia". Virginia Humanities.
"Robert Beverley (bap. 1635–1687)". Encyclopedia Virginia.
"Edward Chilton (1658–1707)". Encyclopedia Virginia.
"John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737)". [[Encyclopedia Virginia]].
"Raleigh Travers Daniel (1805–1877)". [[Encyclopedia Virginia]]/[[Dictionary of Virginia Biography]].
"Francis Simpson Blair (1839–1899)". Encyclopedia Virginia.
"Robert Young Button (1899–1977)". Encyclopedia Virginia.

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