From 1684 to 1777, when New York was under the British colonial government, the attorney general was appointed by the King of England, or the colonial governor on behalf of the sovereign. In 1693, the attorney general earned a salary of 50 pounds.
Since 1777, seventy two persons have held the office. The current holder of the office is Andrew Cuomo, who was elected on November 8, 2006.
New York State Attorneys-General, 1777 - present
| Attorney General |
Years |
Party |
| Egbert Benson |
May 8, 1777 - May 14, 1788 |
Federalist |
| Richard Varick |
May 14, 1788 - September 29, 1789 |
Federalist |
| Aaron Burr |
September 29, 1789 - November 8, 1791 |
Democratic-Republican |
| Morgan Lewis |
November 8, 1791 - December 24, 1792 |
Democratic-Republican |
| Nathaniel Lawrence |
December 24, 1792 - November 13, 1795 |
none |
| Josiah Ogden Hoffman |
November 13, 1795 - February 3, 1802 |
Federalist |
| Ambrose Spencer |
February 3, 1802 - February 3, 1804 |
Democratic-Republican |
| John Woodworth |
February 3, 1804 - March 18, 1808 |
Democratic-Republican |
| Matthias Hildreth |
March 18, 1808 - February 2, 1810 |
Democratic-Republican |
| Abraham Van Vechten |
February 2, 1810 - February 1, 1811 |
Federalist |
| Matthias Hildreth |
February 1, 1811 - August 12, 1812 |
Democratic-Republican |
| Thomas Addis Emmett |
August 12, 1812 - February 13, 1813 |
Democratic-Republican |
| Abraham Van Vechten |
February 13, 1813 - February 17, 1815 |
Federalist |
| Martin Van Buren |
February 17, 1815 - July 8, 1819 |
Democratic-Republican |
| Thomas Jackson Oakley |
July 8, 1819 - February 12, 1821 |
Federalist |
| Samuel Talcott |
February 12, 1821 - February 27, 1829 |
Democratic-Republican |
| Greene Bronson |
February 27, 1829 - January 12, 1836 |
Democrat |
| Samuel Beardsley |
January 12, 1836 - February 4, 1839 |
Democrat |
| Willis Hall |
February 4, 1839 - February 7, 1842 |
Whig |
| George P. Barker |
February 7, 1842 - February 3, 1845 |
Democrat |
| John Van Buren |
February 3, 1845 - November 2, 1847 |
Democrat |
| Ambrose L. Jordan |
November 2, 1847 - November 6, 1849 |
Democrat |
| Levi S. Chatfield |
November 6, 1849 - November 23, 1853 |
Democrat |
| Gardner Stow |
November 23, 1853 - December 8, 1853 |
Washington |
| Odgen Hoffman |
December 8, 1853 - November 7, 1855 |
Whig |
| Stephen B. Cushing |
November 7, 1855 - November 3, 1857 |
none |
| Lyman Tremain |
November 3, 1857 - November 8, 1859 |
Democrat |
| Charles G. Myers |
November 8, 1859 - November 5, 1861 |
Republican |
| Daniel S. Dickinson |
November 5, 1861 - November 3, 1863 |
Democrat |
| John Cochrane |
November 3, 1863 - November 7, 1865 |
Democrat |
| John H. Martindale |
November 7, 1865 - November 5, 1867 |
Republican |
| Francis C. Barlow |
November 7, 1871 - November 4, 1873 |
Republican |
| Daniel Pratt |
November 4, 1873 - November 2, 1875 |
Democrat |
| Charles S. Fairchild |
November 2, 1875 - November 6, 1877 |
Democrat |
| Augustus Schoonmaker, Jr. |
November 6, 1877 - November 4, 1879 |
Democrat |
| Hamilton Ward, Sr. |
November 4, 1879 - November 8, 1881 |
Republican |
| Leslie W. Russell |
November 8, 1881 - November 6, 1883 |
Republican |
| Denis O'Brien |
November 6, 1883 - November 8, 1887 |
Democrat |
| Charles F. Tabor |
November 8, 1887 - November 3, 1891 |
Democrat |
| Simon W. Rosendale |
November 3, 1891 - November 7, 1893 |
none |
| Theodore E. Hancock |
November 7, 1893 - November 8, 1898 |
Republican |
| John C. Davies |
November 8, 1898 - November 4, 1902 |
Republican |
| John Cunneen |
November 4, 1902 - November 8, 1904 |
Democrat |
| Julius M. Mayer |
November 8, 1904 - November 6, 1906 |
Republican |
| William S. Jackson |
November 6, 1906 - November 3, 1908 |
Democrat |
| Edward Richard O'Malley |
November 3, 1908 - November 8, 1910 |
Republican |
| Thomas Carmody |
November 8, 1910 - September 2, 1914 |
Democrat |
| James A. Parsons |
September 2, 1914 - November 3, 1914 |
Democrat |
| Egburt E. Woodbury |
November 3, 1914 - April 25, 1917 |
Republican |
| Merton E. Lewis |
April 25, 1917 - November 5, 1918 |
Republican |
| Charles D. Newton |
November 5, 1918 - November 7, 1922 |
Republican |
| Carl Sherman |
November 7, 1922 - November 4, 1924 |
Democrat |
| Albert Ottinger |
November 4, 1924 - November 6, 1928 |
Republican |
| Hamilton Ward, Jr. |
November 6, 1928 - November 4, 1930 |
Republican |
| John J. Bennett, Jr. |
November 4, 1930 - November 3, 1942 |
Democrat |
| Nathaniel L. Goldstein |
November 3, 1942 - November 2, 1954 |
Republican |
| Jacob K. Javits |
November 2, 1954 - January 9, 1957 |
Republican |
| Louis J. Lefkowitz |
January 9, 1957 - November 7, 1978 |
Republican |
| Robert Abrams |
November 7, 1978 - January 1, 1994 |
Democrat |
| G. Oliver Koppell |
January 1, 1994 - November 8, 1994 |
Democrat |
| Dennis Vacco |
November 8, 1994 - November 3, 1998 |
Republican |
| Eliot Spitzer |
November 3, 1998 - November 8, 2006 |
Democrat |
| Andrew Cuomo |
November 8, 2006 - (incumbent) |
Democrat |
