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The Texas Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Texas.
[edit] History
The Office of the Attorney General was first established by executive ordinance of the Republic of Texas government in 1836. The attorneys general of the Republic of Texas and the first four attorneys general under the 1845 state constitution were appointed by the governor. The office was made elective in 1850 by constitutional amendment.
The attorney general is elected to a four-year term, with a maximum of two terms. The current attorney general of Texas is Greg Abbott (Republican), in office since December 2, 2002.
[edit] Duties and responsibilities
The attorney general is charged by the state constitution to defend the laws and constitution of Texas, represent the state in litigation, and approve public bond issues.
To fulfill these responsibilities, the Office of the Attorney General serves as legal counsel to all boards and agencies of state government, issues legal opinions when requested by the governor, heads of state agencies and other officials and agencies as provided by Texas statutes, sits as an ex-officio member of state committees and commissions, and defends challenges to state laws and suits against both state agencies and individual employees of the state.[1]
[edit] List of Texas Attorneys General
[edit] Republic of Texas
[edit] State of Texas
| Attorney General |
Took office |
Left office |
Party |
| Volney E. Howard |
February 21, 1846 |
May 7, 1846 |
Democrat |
| John W. Harris |
May 7, 1846 |
October 31, 1849 |
Democrat |
| Henry P. Brewster |
October 31, 1849 |
January 15, 1850 |
|
| Andrew Jackson Hamilton |
January 15, 1850 |
August 5, 1850 |
Democrat |
| Ebenezer Allen1 |
August 5, 1850 |
August 2, 1852 |
|
| Thomas J. Jennings |
August 2, 1852 |
August 4, 1856 |
|
| James Willie |
August 4, 1856 |
August 2, 1858 |
|
| Malcolm D. Graham |
August 2, 1858 |
August 6, 1860 |
Democrat |
| George M. Flournoy |
August 6, 1860 |
January 15, 1862 |
Democrat |
| Nathan G. Shelley |
|
|
Democrat |
| Benjamin E. Tarver |
|
|
|
| William Alexander |
|
|
|
| William M. Walton |
|
|
|
| William Alexander |
|
|
|
| Ezekiel B. Turner |
|
|
|
| William Alexander |
|
|
|
| George W. Clark |
|
|
Democrat |
| Hannibal H. Boone |
|
|
Democrat |
| George McCormick |
|
|
|
| James H. McLeary |
|
|
Democrat |
| John D. Templeton |
|
|
Democrat |
| James S. Hogg |
|
|
Democrat |
| Charles A. Culberson |
|
|
Democrat |
| Martin M. Crane |
|
|
Democrat |
| Thomas S. Smith |
|
|
Democrat |
| Charles K. Bell |
|
|
Democrat |
| Robert V. Davidson |
|
|
|
| Jewel P. Lightfoot |
January 1, 1910 |
August 31, 1912 |
Democrat |
| James D. Walthall |
September 1, 1912 |
January 1, 1913 |
Democrat |
| B. F. Looney |
January 1, 1913 |
January 1919 |
Democrat |
| Calvin M. Cureton |
January 1919 |
December 1921 |
Democrat |
| W. A. Keeling |
December 1921 |
January 1925 |
Democrat |
| Dan Moody |
January 1925 |
January 1927 |
Democrat |
| Claude Pollard |
January 1927 |
September 1929 |
Democrat |
| Robert L. Bobbitt2 |
September 1929 |
January 1931 |
Democrat |
| James Allred |
January 1931 |
January 1935 |
Democrat |
| William McCraw |
January 1935 |
January 1939 |
Democrat |
| Gerald C. Mann3 |
January 1939 |
January 1944 |
Democrat |
| Grover Sellers |
January 1944 |
January 1947 |
Democrat |
| Price Daniel |
January 1947 |
January 1953 |
Democrat |
| John B. Sheppard |
January 1953 |
January 1, 1957 |
Democrat |
| Will Wilson |
January 1, 1957 |
January 15, 1963 |
Democrat |
| Waggoner Carr |
January 15, 1963 |
January 1, 1967 |
Democrat |
| Crawford C. Martin |
January 1, 1967 |
December 29, 1972 |
Democrat |
| John Hill |
January 1, 1973 |
January 16, 1979 |
Democrat |
| Mark White |
January 16, 1979 |
January 18, 1983 |
Democrat |
| Jim Mattox |
January 18, 1983 |
January 15, 1991 |
Democrat |
| Dan Morales |
January 15, 1991 |
January 13, 1999 |
Democrat |
| John Cornyn |
January 13, 1999 |
December 2, 2002 |
Republican |
| Greg Abbott |
December 2, 2002 |
present |
Republican |
[edit] Political prominence
Many leading political figures in Texas history have served as attorney general, several of them using the office as a jumping off place to other offices in the state and national government. Attorneys general James S. Hogg, Charles A. Culberson, Dan Moody, James Allred, Price Daniel, and Mark White were elected governor. Culberson, Daniel, and John Cornyn were later elected to the United States Senate.[2]
- First elected Attorney General
- Appointed
- Resigned
[edit] References
- ^ Duties & Responsibilities - Office of the Attorney General
- ^ Attorney General from the Handbook of Texas Online
