Concept

Attorney General of Virginia

Summary
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. 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, is the state's first Latino attorney general. 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. 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.
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Related concepts (1)
Terry McAuliffe
Terence Richard McAuliffe (born February 9, 1957) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 72nd governor of Virginia from 2014 to 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, he was co-chairman of President Bill Clinton's 1996 reelection campaign, chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005 and chairman of Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign. McAuliffe was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2009 Virginia gubernatorial election.