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."Constitutional and Statutory Provisions For Number of Consecutive Terms of Elected State Officials", National Governors Association. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.

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 during 1986, was Virginia's first female attorney general. Jason Miyares, sworn in on January 15, 2022, became the state's first Latino attorney general. Jay Jones, sworn in on January 17, 2026, became the state's first Black 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.

NameTermNotesRichard Lee October 12, 1643 – c. 1651 Appointed by Governor William Berkeley and Council (Office not in use?) 1652–1660 Office apparently vacant during the InterregnumPeter Jenings Before June 25, 1670 – c. October 12, 1670 Reappointed by Charles II of England on September 15, 1670George Jordan October 12, 1670 – at least October 3, 1672 Appointed by Governor William Berkeley and CouncilRobert Beverley March 10, 1676 (appointed) Appointed by Governor William Berkeley and CouncilGeorge 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 ActingEdmund Jenings c. May 1, 1688 – June 10, 1691Edward 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 Appointed by Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood, given leave to EnglandSir John Randolph April 22, 1726 – late 1727 or early 1728 Appointed acting by Lieutenant Governor William Gooch in Clayton's absenceJohn Clayton late 1727 or early 1728 – November 18, 1737 Reappointed by royal warrant after February 29, 1728. Died in officeEdward 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 officeThomas Nelson Between June 19 and 27, 1743 – summer 1744 Appointed acting by Lieutenant Governor William GoochPeyton Randolph May 7, 1744 (warrant) – sometime before January 29, 1754 Office declared forfeit on June 20, 1754Peyton Randolph May 13, 1755 (warrant) – sometime soon after November 22, 1766 ResignedGeorge Wythe c. January 29, 1754 – between January 20 and February 10, 1755 Appointed acting by Lieutenant Governor Robert DinwiddieGeorge Wythe c. after November 22, 1766 – between June 4 and 11, 1767 Appointed acting by Lieutenant Governor Francis FauquierJohn 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.

ImageNameTermPartyNotes Edmund Randolph early July 1776 – November 30, 1786 Elected by conventionJames Innes November 30, 1786 – November 13, 1796 ResignedJohn Marshall mid-October 1794 – late March 1795 ActingRobert Brooke mid-November 1796 – February 27, 1800Democratic-Republican Died in officePhilip Norborne Nicholas March 15, 1800 – January 7, 1819Democratic-Republican Appointed by Governor James Monroe, elected by General Assembly, resignedJohn Robertson January 21, 1819 – mid-October 1834Democratic ResignedSidney Smith Baxter December 11, 1834 – January 1, 1852DemocraticWillis Perry BocockJanuary 1, 1852 – May 15, 1857DemocraticResigned

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. ImageNameTermPartyNotesJohn Randolph Tucker June 13, 1857 – May 9, 1865Democratic Confederate attorney general throughout war. Left office when government abandoned Richmond.James S. Wheat June 21, 1861 – December 7, 1863Republican Elected at the Wheeling Convention and then in a May 1862 election for the Restored Government of Virginia in Wheeling.Thomas Russell BowdenDecember 7, 1863 – August 1, 1869Union 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, 1870Republican Appointed and removed by Brigadier General Edward Richard Sprigg CanbyJames Craig Taylor January 19, 1870 – January 1, 1874Conservative Party of Virginia Appointed by Brigadier General Canby after winning election (moving forward swearing-in date)

Virginia (1874–present) ImageNameTermPartyNotesRaleigh Travers Daniel January 1, 1874 – August 16, 1877Conservative Party of Virginia Died in officeJames Gavin Field August 29, 1877 – January 1, 1882Conservative Party of Virginia Appointed and then electedFrancis Simpson Blair January 1, 1882 – January 1, 1886Readjuster Party Rufus A. Ayers January 1, 1886 – January 1, 1890Democratic R. Taylor Scott January 1, 1890 – August 5, 1897Democratic Died in officeRichard Carter Scott August 11, 1897 – January 1, 1898Democratic appointed by Governor Charles T. O'FerrallAndrew Jackson Montague January 1, 1898 – January 1, 1902Democratic Became governor January 1, 1902William Alexander Anderson January 1, 1902 – February 1, 1910DemocraticSamuel Walker Williams February 1, 1910 – February 2, 1914DemocraticJohn Garland Pollard February 2, 1914 – January 5, 1918DemocraticResigned.Josiah D. Hank Jr. January 5, 1918 - February 1, 1918DemocraticAppointed by Governor Henry C. Stuart John R. SaundersFebruary 1, 1918 – March 17, 1934DemocraticDied in officeAbram Penn StaplesMarch 22, 1934 – October 6, 1947DemocraticResigned to become judge of the Virginia Supreme Court of AppealsHarvey Black AppersonOctober 7, 1947 – February 2, 1948DemocraticAppointed by Governor; Died in officeJ. Lindsay AlmondFebruary 11, 1948 – September 16, 1957DemocraticResigned to run for GovernorKenneth Cartwright PattySeptember 1957 – January 1958DemocraticAppointed by GovernorAlbertis Sydney HarrisonJanuary 1958 – April 1961DemocraticResigned to run for GovernorFrederick Thomas GrayMay 1961 – January 1962DemocraticAppointed by GovernorRobert Young ButtonJanuary 1962 – January 1970DemocraticAndrew Pickens MillerJanuary 1970 – January 1977DemocraticResigned to run for GovernorAnthony Francis TroyJanuary 1977 – January 1978DemocraticJ. Marshall ColemanJanuary 14, 1978 – January 16, 1982RepublicanGerald BalilesJanuary 16, 1982 – June 30, 1985DemocraticResigned to run for GovernorWilliam BroaddusJuly 1, 1985 – January 11, 1986DemocraticMary Sue TerryJanuary 11, 1986 – January 28, 1993DemocraticFirst Female Attorney General Resigned to run for GovernorStephen D. RosenthalJanuary 29, 1993 – January 15, 1994DemocraticJim GilmoreJanuary 15, 1994 – June 11, 1997RepublicanResigned to run for GovernorRichard CullenJune 11, 1997 – January 17, 1998RepublicanMark EarleyJanuary 17, 1998 – June 4, 2001RepublicanResigned to run for GovernorRandolph A. BealesJuly 11, 2001 – January 12, 2002RepublicanJerry KilgoreJanuary 12, 2002 – February 1, 2005RepublicanResigned to run for GovernorJudith JagdmannFebruary 1, 2005 – January 14, 2006RepublicanBob McDonnellJanuary 14, 2006 – February 20, 2009RepublicanResigned to run for GovernorBill MimsFebruary 20, 2009 – January 16, 2010RepublicanKen CuccinelliJanuary 16, 2010 – January 11, 2014RepublicanMark HerringJanuary 11, 2014 – January 15, 2022DemocraticJason MiyaresJanuary 15, 2022 – January 17, 2026RepublicanFirst Hispanic and Latino American attorney general.Jay JonesJanuary 17, 2026 – presentDemocraticFirst African-American attorney general.

References

Works cited

External links Virginia Attorney General official website Code of Virginia at Law.Justia.com Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring profile at National Association of Attorneys General Press releases at Virginia Attorney General