Leslie Rutledge

Leslie Rutledge
56th Attorney General of Arkansas
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 13, 2015
Governor Asa Hutchinson
Preceded by Dustin McDaniel
Personal details
Born June 9, 1976
Batesville, Arkansas, U.S.
Political party Republican
Alma mater University of Arkansas,
Fayetteville
University of Arkansas, Little
Rock

Leslie Rutledge (born June 9, 1976) is an American lawyer and politician from the state of Arkansas. A member of the Republican Party, she is the Attorney General of Arkansas.

Early life and career

Rutledge, a native of Batesville, Arkansas, is a graduate of Southside High School, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the William H. Bowen School of Law in the capital city of Little Rock. She began her legal career as Clerk for Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Josephine Hart, now Associate Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court. She was appointed Deputy Counsel for Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and later served as Legal Counsel on the Mike Huckabee for President Campaign. She served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Lonoke County and in subsequent service as Attorney for the State of Arkansas’s Division of Children and Family Services. She also served as Deputy Counsel at the National Republican Congressional Committee before joining the Republican National Committee as Counsel. Prior to her election as Attorney General, she founded and practiced law at The Rutledge Firm, PLLC. Rutledge lives in Little Rock.

Attorney General of Arkansas

Rutledge sought the Republican Party nomination for Attorney General of Arkansas in the 2014 election.[1] She faced fellow attorneys Patricia Nation[2] and David Sterling.[3] Rutledge finished with the most votes in the primary election, but did not reach 50% of the vote. She faced second-place finisher Sterling in a runoff election.[4] Nation endorsed Rutledge, and she defeated Sterling.[5]

In September, County Clerk Larry Crane of Pulaski County cancelled Rutledge's voter registration when he discovered that Rutledge had registered to vote in Washington, D.C..[6] She reregistered in Pulaski County.[7]

She defeated Democratic Party nominee Nate Steel, a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, in the general election.[8] She is the first Republican and woman elected Attorney General of Arkansas.

References

  1. ↑ "Leslie Rutledge to make Republican run for attorney general". Arkansas Times. June 28, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Tolbert: Nation Set To Announce For Attorney General". Talk Business Arkansas. January 30, 2014. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  3. ↑ "David Sterling Makes Attorney General Race Official". Talk Business Arkansas. May 7, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  4. ↑ "David Sterling, Leslie Rutledge Go to Runoff in Attorney General Race". Arkansas Business. May 21, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Runoff race gets nasty between GOP Attorney General candidates". The City Wire. June 2, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  6. ↑ "AG hopeful Rutledge not registered to vote in state, clerk says". Arkansas Online. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Leslie Rutledge finally registers to vote". Arkansas Times. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  8. ↑ Associated Press, news source (November 4, 2014). "Leslie Rutledge beats Nate Steel for Arkansas attorney general". Retrieved November 18, 2014.

External links

Legal offices
Preceded by
Dustin McDaniel		 Attorney General of Arkansas
2015–present 		Incumbent