Michigan Attorney General
General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
Compensation:	$112,410
2025 FY Budget:	$129,746,700
Term limits:	2 terms
Structure
Length of term:	4 years
Authority:	Michigan Constitution, Article V, Section 3, the Executive Department
Selection Method:	Elected
Current Officeholder(s)
Attorney General of Michigan Dana Nessel Democratic Party Assumed office: January 1, 2019
Elections
Next election:	2026
Last election:	2022
Other Michigan Executive Offices
Governor •Lieutenant Governor •Secretary of State •Attorney General •Treasurer •Auditor •Superintendent of Public Instruction •Director of Agriculture and Rural Development •Insurance Commissioner •Natural Resources Director •Labor Director •Public Service Commission

TheAttorney General ofMichigan is an elected constitutional office in the executive branch of the Michigan state government. The attorney general oversees the Office of the Attorney General, which is in charge of prosecuting the laws of the state of Michigan. In Michigan, the attorney general is popularly elected in midterm election years and serves terms lasting four years. Since 1993, the attorney general is limited to two terms in office.^[1]

Michigan has a Democratictriplex. The Democratic Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.

Current officeholder

The current Attorney General of Michigan isDana Nessel (D). Nessel assumed office in 2019.

Authority

TheMichigan Constitution addresses the office of the attorney general inArticle V, the Executive Department.

Under Article V, Section 3:

Qualifications

Note:Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches the constitutional or statutory text that establishes the requirements necessary to qualify for a state executive office. That information for the Attorney General of Michigan has not yet been added. After extensive research, we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, pleaseemail us.

Elections

The attorney general is an elected position up for election each alternate even-numbered year. Per theMichigan Constitution of 1963, the attorney general serves a four-year term of office. Originally this was an appointed position until the 1950 State Constitution.

Term limits

Term limits for the attorney general are defined inArticle V, Section 30 of the Michigan Constitution, which bars an attorney general from serving more than two terms.

Michigan Constitution, Article V, Section 30:

Election results

• 2030
• 2026
• 2022
• 2018

See also: Michigan Attorney General election, 2030

There are noofficial candidates yet for this election.

See also: Michigan Attorney General election, 2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for Attorney General of Michigan

Karen McDonald (D),Eli Savit (D),Matthew DePerno (R),Kevin Kijewski (R), andDoug Lloyd (R) are running in the general election for Attorney General of Michigan on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Karen McDonald (D)
		Eli Savit (D)
		Matthew DePerno (R)
		Kevin Kijewski (R)
		Doug Lloyd (R)

---

	There are noincumbents in this race.
= candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Mark Totten (D)

See also: Michigan Attorney General election, 2022

General election

General election for Attorney General of Michigan

IncumbentDana Nessel (D) defeatedMatthew DePerno (R),Joe McHugh (L), andGerald T. Van Sickle (U.S. Taxpayers Party) in the general election for Attorney General of Michigan on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dana Nessel (D)	53.2	2,329,195
		Matthew DePerno (R)	44.6	1,952,408
		Joe McHugh (L)	1.5	67,846
		Gerald T. Van Sickle (U.S. Taxpayers Party)	0.7	32,431

---

	Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,381,880
= candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic convention

Democratic convention for Attorney General of Michigan

IncumbentDana Nessel (D) advanced from the Democratic convention for Attorney General of Michigan on August 21, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		Dana Nessel

---

	Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican convention

Republican convention for Attorney General of Michigan

Matthew DePerno (R) defeatedRyan Berman (R) andTom Leonard (R) in the Republican convention for Attorney General of Michigan on August 27, 2022.

		Candidate
		Ryan Berman
✔		Matthew DePerno
		Tom Leonard

---

	There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian Party convention

Libertarian convention for Attorney General of Michigan

Joe McHugh (L) advanced from the Libertarian Party convention for Attorney General of Michigan on July 10, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		Joe McHugh

---

	There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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U.S. Taxpayers Party convention

U.S. Taxpayers convention for Attorney General of Michigan

Gerald T. Van Sickle (U.S. Taxpayers Party) advanced from the U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for Attorney General of Michigan on July 23, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		Gerald T. Van Sickle

---

	There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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See also: Michigan Attorney General election, 2018

General election

General election for Attorney General of Michigan

Dana Nessel (D) defeatedTom Leonard (R),Lisa Lane Gioia (L),Chris Graveline (Independent), andGerald T. Van Sickle (U.S. Taxpayers Party) in the general election for Attorney General of Michigan on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dana Nessel (D)	49.0	2,031,117
		Tom Leonard (R)	46.3	1,916,117
		Lisa Lane Gioia (L)	2.1	86,807
		Chris Graveline (Independent)	1.7	69,889
		Gerald T. Van Sickle (U.S. Taxpayers Party)	0.9	38,114

---

	There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,142,0440
= 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.

Previous election results

2014

See also:Michigan Attorney General election, 2014

Attorney General of Michigan, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Bill SchuetteIncumbent	52.1%	1,603,471
	Democratic	Mark Totten	44.2%	1,359,839
	Libertarian	Justin Altman	1.9%	57,345
	U.S. Taxpayers	Gerald T. Van Sickle	1%	30,762
	Green	John Anthony La Pietra	0.8%	25,747
Total Votes				3,077,164
Election results viaMichigan Department of State

2010

Michigan Attorney General, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Bill Schuette	52.6%	1,649,223
	Democratic	David Leyton	43.5%	1,363,486
	Libertarian	Daniel W. Grow	2%	62,737
	U.S. Taxpayers	Gerald Van Sickle	1.9%	60,778
Total Votes				3,136,224
Election results viaMichigan Secretary of State

2006

Michigan Attorney General, 2006
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Mike Cox	53.8%	1,986,606
	Democratic	Amos Williams	43.5%	1,605,725
	Libertarian	Bill Hall	1.7%	61,607
	U.S. Taxpayers	Charles Conces	1%	36,477
Total Votes				3,690,415
Election results viaMichigan Secretary of State

2002

Michigan Attorney General, 2002
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Mike Cox	48.9%	1,499,066
	Democratic	Gary Peters	48.7%	1,493,866
	Green	Jerry Kaufman	1.6%	47,894
	U.S. Taxpayers	Gerad Van Sickle	0.9%	27,186
Total Votes				3,068,012
Election results viaMichigan Secretary of State

Vacancies

Vacancy appointments are addressed underArticle V, Section 21.

Whenever the attorney general's office is vacant the governor fills the position by appointment.

Duties

The main duties of the attorney general are outlined in the Michigan Compiled Laws:^[2]

• "Prosecute and defend all actions in the supreme court in which the state shall be interested"
• "Intervene in and appear for the people of this state in any other court or tribunal, in any cause or matter, civil or criminal, in which the people of this state may be a party or interested"

Divisions

Michigan state government organizational chart

As of January 10, 2021, the attorney general's office is organized into five divisions:^[3]

• Solicitor General
• Consumer and Regulatory Enforcement Bureau
• Environment and Government Operations Bureau
• Office of Fiscal Management
• Opinions Review Board

Campaign finance

Main article:Campaign finance requirements for Michigan ballot measures

The Attorney General ofMichigan is responsible for handling all criminal prosecutions under the state's campaign finance laws.^[4] The first step in filing a campaign finance complaint is to file with theMichigan Secretary of State's office. It is up the aecretary of atate to resolve the complaint as the first step before proceeding to civil or criminal prosecution.^[4] The secretary of state is responsible for investigating all campaign finance complaints.

State budget

See also:Michigan state budget and finances

The Department of the Attorney General's budget for the Fiscal Year 2025 was $129,746,700.^[5]

Compensation

See also:Compensation of state executive officers

TheMichigan Constitution allows that the compensation for the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and attorney general shall be provided by law, and is not to be altered during the term of office. Established underArticle IV, Section 12 of the Michigan Constitution, the State Officers Compensation Commission was created to determine the salaries of select public officials. The seven-member, government appointed commission meets every two years. The commission may propose compensation increases, but may only propose a reduction in salary if the proposed amount is equal to or higher than the salary in place when the official took office. Once approved by the legislature, compensation is effective during the legislative session following the subsequent general election.^[6]

Article V, Section 23 of theMichigan Constitution:

2023

In 2023, the officer's salary was $112,410, according to theCouncil of State Governments.^[7]

2022

In 2022, the officer's salary was $112,410, according to theCouncil of State Governments.^[8]

2021

In 2021, the attorney general received a salary of $112,410, according to theCouncil of State Governments.^[9]

2020

In 2020, the attorney general received a salary of $112,410, according to theCouncil of State Governments.^[10]

2019

In 2019, the attorney general received a salary of $112,410, according to theCouncil of State Governments.^[11]

2018

In 2018, the attorney general received a salary of $112,410, according to theCouncil of State Governments.^[12]

2017

In 2017, the attorney general received a salary of $112,410, according to theCouncil of State Governments.^[13]

2016

In 2016, the attorney general received a salary of $112,410, according to theCouncil of State Governments.^[14]

2015

In 2015, the attorney general received a salary of $112,410, according to theCouncil of State Governments.^[15]

2014

In 2014, the attorney general received a salary of $112,410, according to theCouncil of State Governments.^[16]

2013

In 2013, the attorney general's salary was estimated at $112,410.^[17]

2012

In 2012, the attorney general was paid an estimated$124,900 according to theCouncil of State Governments.

Historical officeholders

There have been 55 Attorneys General of Michigan since 1836. From 1836 to 1850, the attorney general of Michigan was an appointed position.^{[18][19][20][21][22][23]}

List of Former Officeholders from 1836-Present
#	Name	Tenure	Party
1	Daniel LeRoy	1836-1837	appointed
2	Peter Morey	1837-1841	appointed
3	Zephaniah Platt	1841-1843	appointed
4	Elon Farnsworth	1843-1845	appointed
5	Henry N. Walker	1845-1847	appointed
6	Edward Mundy	1847-1848	appointed
7	George V. N. Lothrop	1848-1851	appointed
8	William Hale	1851-1855	Democratic
9	Jacob M. Howard	1855-1861	Republican
10	Charles Upson	1861-1863	Republican
12	Albert Williams	1863-1867
13	William L. Stoughton	1867-1868	Republican
14	Dwight May	1869-1873	Republican
15	Byron D. Ball	1873-1874
16	Isaac Marston	1874	appointed
17	Andrew J. Smith	1875-1877
18	Otto Kirchner	1877-1881
19	Jacob J. Van Riper	1881-1885
20	Moses Taggart	1885-1889	Republican
21	Stephen V. R. Trowbridge	1889-1890
22	Benjamin W. Huston	1890-1891
23	Adolphus A. Ellis	1891-1894	Democratic
24	Fred A. Maynard	1895-1899
25	Horace M. Oren	1899-1903
26	Charles A. Blair	1903-1905	Republican
27	John E. Bird	1905-1911	Republican
28	Franz C. Kuhn	1911-1913	Republican
29	Roger I. Wykes	1912-1913	appointed
30	Grant Fellows	1913-1917	NA
31	Alexander J. Groesbeck	1917-1921	Republican
32	Merlin Wiley	1921-1923	NA
33	Andrew B. Dougherty	1923-1926	appointed
34	Clare Retan	1926-1990	NA
35	William W. Potter	1927-1929	Republican
36	Wilber M. Brucker	1929-1931	Republican
37	Paul W. Voorhies	1931-1933	Republican
38	Patrick H. O’Brien	1933-1935	Democratic
39	Harry S. Toy	1935	NA
40	David H. Crowley	1935-1936	Republican
41	Raymond W. Starr	1937-1938	Democratic
42	Thomas Read	1939-1940	Republican
43	Herbert J. Rushton	1941-1944	Republican
44	John R. Dethmers	1945-1946	Republican
45	Foss O. Eldred	1946	appointed
46	Eugene F. Black	1947-1948	Republican
47	Stephen J. Roth	1949-1950	Democratic
48	Frank G. Millard	1951-1954	Republican
49	Thomas M. Kavanagh	1955-1957	Democratic
50	Paul L. Adams	1958-1961	Democratic
51	Frank J. Kelley	1961-1998	Democratic
52	Jennifer M. Granholm	1999-2002	Democratic
53	Mike Cox	2003-2010	Republican
54	Bill Schuette	2010-2019	Republican
55	Dana Nessel	2019-present	Democratic

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the termsMichigan Attorney General. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Contact information

110 State Office Building
305 Lundington
Escanaba, MI 49829

Phone: 906-786-0169
Fax: 906-786-6445
E-mail:miag@michigan.gov

See also

Michigan	State Executive Elections	News and Analysis
Michigan State Executive OfficesMichigan State LegislatureMichigan Courts	2026 •2025 •2024 •2023 •2022 •2021 •2020 •2019 •2018 •2017 •2016Michigan elections:2026 •2025 •2024 •2023 •2022 •2021 •2020 •2019 •2018 •2017 •2016	Party control of state governmentState government trifectasState of the state addressesPartisan composition of governors

External links

Suggest a link

• Office of the Michigan Attorney General
• Chart of how the Office of the Michigan Attorney General is organized

Footnotes

	v • e State ofMichigan Lansing (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? |Elections in 2026 |How to vote |How to run for office |Ballot measures
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