Attorney General of Kansas
| Kansas Attorney General | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $98,901 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $47,981,693 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Kansas Constitution, Article I § 1 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
Attorney General of Kansas Kris Kobach | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | 2026 |
| Last election: | 2022 |
| Other Kansas Executive Offices | |
| Governor •Lieutenant Governor •Secretary of State •Attorney General •Treasurer •Commissioner of Education •Agriculture Secretary •Insurance Commissioner •Wildlife and Parks Secretary •Labor Secretary •Corporation Commission | |
TheAttorney General of Kansas is one of four statewide constitutional offices inKansas. The office is the chief law enforcement agency for the state. Theattorney general provides legal services to state agencies and boards, protects consumers from fraud, assists the victims of crime and defends the state in civil proceedings. The attorney general is directly elected in federal midterm years and serves a term of four years.[1][2]
Kansas has a divided government where neither party holds atriplex. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor, while the Republican Party controls the offices of attorney general and secretary of state.
Current officeholder
The current Attorney General of Kansas isKris Kobach (R). Kobach assumed office in 2023.
Authority
The attorney general's powers are derived from Article 1 of theKansas Constitution.[3]
Article 1, Section 1:
| The constitutional officers of the executive department shall be the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and attorney general, who shall have such qualifications as are provided by law. |
Qualifications
There are no constitutional or statutory qualifications for this office.[4]
Elections
As with other executive officers, the attorney general is elected to serve for a term of four years, which runs concurrently with the term of thegovernor. The election is held in November during federal midterm years (e.g. 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026) and the winner takes office the following January.
Term limits
There is noterm limit for this office(Kansas Constitution, Article I § 1).
Election results
See also: Kansas Attorney General election, 2030
There are noofficial candidates yet for this election.
See also: Kansas Attorney General election, 2026
There are noofficial candidates yet for this election.
See also: Kansas Attorney General election, 2022
General election
General election for Attorney General of Kansas
Kris Kobach (R) defeatedChris Mann (D) in the general election for Attorney General of Kansas on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kris Kobach (R) | 50.8 | 506,817 |
 | Chris Mann (D) | 49.2 | 490,925 | |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 997,742 | ||
 = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary
Democratic primary for Attorney General of Kansas
Chris Mann (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Kansas on August 2, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Mann | 100.0 | 248,846 |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 248,846 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary
Republican primary for Attorney General of Kansas
Kris Kobach (R) defeatedKellie Warren (R) andTony Mattivi (R) in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Kansas on August 2, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kris Kobach | 42.3 | 200,904 |
 | Kellie Warren | 37.9 | 180,367 | |
 | Tony Mattivi | 19.8 | 94,155 | |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 475,426 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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See also: Kansas Attorney General election, 2018
General election
General election for Attorney General of Kansas
IncumbentDerek Schmidt (R) defeatedSarah Swain (D) in the general election for Attorney General of Kansas on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Derek Schmidt (R) | 59.0 | 614,436 |
 | Sarah Swain (D) | 41.0 | 427,289 | |
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 1,041,725 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary
Democratic primary for Attorney General of Kansas
Sarah Swain (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Kansas on August 7, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sarah Swain | 100.0 | 140,503 |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 140,503 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary
Republican primary for Attorney General of Kansas
IncumbentDerek Schmidt (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of Kansas on August 7, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Derek Schmidt | 100.0 | 269,212 |
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 269,212 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Vacancies
Article 1, Section 11 addresses the legal procedure for fillingVacancies in Executive Offices.
| When the office of secretary of state or attorney general is vacant, the governor shall fill the vacancy by appointment for the remainder of the term. If the secretary of state or attorney general is disabled, the governor shall name a person to assume the powers and duties of the office until the disability is removed. |
Duties
The Attorney General of Kansas is the state's chief legal official and law enforcement official. The attorney general's office carries out its prescribed duties through the coordinated efforts of its constituent divisions. The office is responsible for protecting consumers from fraud, assisting the victims of crime, defending the state in civil proceedings, giving legal counsel to the state's various agencies and boards and ensuring the legal integrity of overall governmental operations as per Kansas'constitutional guidelines and state code.[5]
Campaign finance
The Kansas Attorney General has authority over discipline of campaign finance law violations if it involves criminal laws or other matters that are not specified in the jurisdiction of theKansas Governmental Ethics Commission. The first step in filing a complaint is to file with the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission (KGEC). It is up to the KGEC to determine the validity of a complaint before beginning any investigation.[6]
Divisions
Each of the twelve divisions that make up the Office of theKansas Attorney General is charged with performing a different set of duties. As of January 8, 2021, the office contains the following divisions:[7]
- Administration Division
- Civil Litigation Division
- Consumer Protection Division
- Crime Victims Compensation Division
- Criminal Litigation Division
- Fraud & Abuse Litigation Division
- Kansas Bureau of Investigation
- Legal Opinions and Government Counsel Division
- Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division
- Medicaid Inspector General
- Solicitor Division
- Victims' Services Division
State budget
- See also:Kansas state budget and finances
The attorney general's budget for Fiscal Year 2025 was $47,981,693.[8]
Compensation
The salary of the attorney general, along with other Kansas elected executives, is determined by theKansas State Legislature.Article I, Section 13 maintains state executive salaries as legally fixed and may not be reduced during the current term, unless such a reduction applies to all salaried state officers.[9] However, underArticle 15, Section 7 the legislature may reduce the salary of an elected officer for gross neglect of duty.[10]
Kansas Constitution, Article 1, Section 13
| Compensation of officers. The officers mentioned in this article shall at stated times receive for their services a such compensation as is established by law, which shall not be diminished during their terms of office, unless by general law applicable to all salaried officers of the state. Any person exercising the powers and duties of an office mentioned in this article shall receive the compensation established by law for that office. |
Kansas Constitution, Article 15, Section 7
| Salaries reduced for neglect of duty. The legislature may reduce the salaries of officers, who shall neglect the performance of any legal duty. |
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $98,901, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[11]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $98,901, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[12]
2021
In 2021, the attorney general received a salary of $98,901, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[13]
2020
In 2020, the attorney general received a salary of $98,901, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[14]
2019
In 2019, the attorney general received a salary of $98,901, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[15]
2018
In 2018, the attorney general received a salary of $98,901, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[16]
2017
In 2017, the attorney general received a salary of $98,901, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[17]
2016
In 2016, the attorney general received a salary of $98,901, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[18]
2015
In 2015, the attorney general received a salary of $98,901, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[19]
2014
In 2014, the attorney general received a salary of $98,901, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[20]
2013
In 2013, the attorney general receiveda salary of $98,901. This figure comes from theCouncil of State Governments.[21]
2011
In 2011, the attorney general received a salary of $98,901.[22]
Historical officeholders
There have been 45 Kansas attorneys general since 1861. There were also three attorneys general of the Kansas Territory between 1854 and 1861. Of the 47 officeholders, 35 were Republican, seven were Democrat, two were Populist, and three were unknown.
| List of Former Officeholders from 1861-Present | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | Andrew Jackson Isacks | 1854-1857 | NA | ||
| 2 | William Weer | 1857-1858 | NA | ||
| 3 | Alson C. Davis | 1858-1861 | NA | ||
| 4 | Benjamin Franklin Simpson | 1861 |  Democratic | ||
| 5 | Charles Chadwick | 1861 |  Republican | ||
| 6 | Samuel Adams Stinson | 1861-1863 | Republican | ||
| 7 | Warren William Guthrie | 1863-1865 | Republican | ||
| 8 | Jerome D. Brumbaugh | 1865-1867 | Republican | ||
| 9 | George H. Hoyt | 1867-1869 | Republican | ||
| 10 | Addison Danford | 1869-1871 | Republican | ||
| 11 | Archibald L. Williams | 1871-1875 | Republican | ||
| 12 | Asa Maxson Fitz Randolph | 1875-1877 | Republican | ||
| 13 | Willard Davis | 1877-1881 | Republican | ||
| 14 | William Agnew Johnston | 1881-1884 | Republican | ||
| 15 | George Price Smith | 1884-1885 | Democratic | ||
| 16 | Simeon Briggs Bradford | 1885-1889 | Republican | ||
| 17 | Lyman Beecher Kellogg | 1889-1891 | Republican | ||
| 18 | John Nutt Ives | 1891-1893 | Democratic | ||
| 19 | John Thomas Little | 1893-1895 | Populist | ||
| 20 | Fernando Brenton Dawes | 1895-1897 | Republican | ||
| 21 | Louis C. Boyle | 1897-1899 | Populist | ||
| 22 | Aretas Allen Godard | 1899-1903 | Republican | ||
| 23 | Chiles Crittendon Coleman | 1903-1907 | Republican | ||
| 24 | Fred Schuyler Jackson | 1907-1911 | Republican | ||
| 25 | John Shaw Dawson | 1911-1915 | Republican | ||
| 26 | Sardius Mason Brewster | 1915-1919 | Republican | ||
| 27 | Richard Joseph Hopkins | 1919-1923 | Republican | ||
| 28 | Charles Benjamin Griffith | 1923-1927 | Republican | ||
| 29 | William A. Smith | 1927-1930 | Republican | ||
| 30 | Roland Boynton | 1930-1935 | Republican | ||
| 31 | Clarence Victor Beck | 1935-1939 | Republican | ||
| 32 | Jay S. Parker | 1939-1943 | Republican | ||
| 33 | Alexander Baldwin Mitchell | 1943-1947 | Republican | ||
| 34 | Edward F. Arn | 1947-1949 | Republican | ||
| 35 | Harold Ralph Fatzer | 1949-1956 | Republican | ||
| 36 | John Anderson, Jr. | 1956-1961 | Republican | ||
| 37 | William M. Ferguson | 1961-1965 | Republican | ||
| 38 | Robert C. Londerholm | 1965-1969 | Republican | ||
| 39 | Kent Frizzell | 1969-1971 | Republican | ||
| 40 | Vern Miller | 1971-1975 | Democratic | ||
| 41 | Curt T. Schneider | 1975-1979 | Democratic | ||
| 42 | Robert T. Stephan | 1979-1995 | Republican | ||
| 43 | Carla J. Stovall | 1995-2003 | Republican | ||
| 44 | Phill Kline | 2003-2007 | Republican | ||
| 45 | Paul Morrison | 2007-2008 | Democratic | ||
| 46 | Stephen Six | 2008-2011 | Democratic | ||
| 47 | Derek Schmidt | 2011-2023 | Republican | ||
| 48 | Kris Kobach | 2023-Present | Republican | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the termsKansas Attorney General. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
Capitol Address:
Kansas Attorney General Steve Six
Memorial Hall, 2nd Floor
120 Southwest 10th Street
Topeka, KS 66612
Phone: (785) 296-2215
Toll Free Phone: (888) 428-8436
Fax: (785) 296-6296
E-mail:general@ksag.org
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑Kansas Attorney General's Office, "About the Office," accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑Office of the Secretary of State of Kansas, "Constitution of the State of Kansas," accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑Office of the Secretary of State of Kansas, "Constitution of the State of Kansas," accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑Kansas Secretary of State, "Kansas Election Standards (Chapter IV: Candidates, p. IV-11)," accessed January 27, 2012
- ↑Office of the Attorney General of Kansas, "Home," accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑Kansas GEC, "Kansas Campaign Finance Law," accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑Office of the Attorney General of Kansas, "Divisions," accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑Kansas Division of the Budget, "2025 comparison report," accessed January 17, 2025
- ↑ Kansas Constitution, "Article I Executive; Compensation of Officers," accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑Kansas Constitution, “Article XV Miscellaneous; Salaries reduced for neglect of duty,” accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed November 14, 2014
- ↑The Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2013, Table 4.11," accessed February 2, 2014
- ↑The Council of State Governments, "Book of States 2011- Table 4.11," accessed February 2, 2012(dead link)
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