Attorney General of California
| California Attorney General | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $189,841 |
| 2024 FY Budget: | $1,274,974,000 |
| Term limits: | 2 terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | California Constitution, Article 5, Section 11 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
Attorney General of California
Rob Bonta | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Other California Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Controller • Superintendent of Public Instruction • Agriculture Secretary • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Secretary • Industrial Relations Director • Public Utilities Commission | |
The Attorney General of California is the chief law officer of California and the state's primary legal counsel. The attorney general "[sees] that the laws of the State are uniformly and adequately enforced" and prosecutes violations of state law through the California Department of Justice, which he or she oversees.[1]
The officeholder also represents state agencies and officers in legal matters and provides legal advice on request. Further, the attorney general plays a direct role in law enforcement efforts and "coordinates statewide narcotics enforcement efforts, participates in criminal investigations and provides forensic science services, identification and information services and telecommunication support."[1]
Additionally, attorneys general play a prominent policymaking role by "[establishing] and [operating] projects and programs to protect Californians from fraudulent, unfair, and illegal activities that victimize consumers or threaten public safety."[1]
California has a Democratic triplex. The Democratic Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
Current officeholder
The current officeholder is Rob Bonta, a Democrat. He was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to replace Xavier Becerra (D), who left office when he was confirmed as U.S. secretary of health and human services.[2]
Authority
The office of attorney general is established by the California Constitution.
California Constitution, Article 5, Section 11
|
The Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Controller, Secretary of State, and Treasurer shall be elected at the same time and places and for the same term as the Governor. |
Qualifications
State law requires that the attorney general be admitted to practice before the California Supreme Court for five years before election.[3]
California Government Code, Section 12503
|
No person shall be eligible to the office of Attorney General unless he shall have been admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the state for a period of at least five years immediately preceding his election or appointment to such office. |
Additionally, each candidate for attorney general must:[4]
- Be a registered voter
- Be registered with their party for at least three months
- Not have been registered with a different political party in the last 12 months
- Not have been previously term-limited out
Elections
Attorneys general are elected on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in federal midterm election years, e.g. 2018, 2022, 2026 and 2030.[5] Like all constitutional state officers, the attorney general assumes office on the first Monday in the new year following the election.[6]
California Constitution, Article 5, Section 11
|
The Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Controller, and Treasurer shall be elected at the same time and places and for the same term as the Governor. No Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Controller, Secretary of State, or Treasurer may serve in the same office for more than 2 terms. |
2022
General election
General election for Attorney General of California
Incumbent Rob Bonta defeated Nathan Hochman in the general election for Attorney General of California on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Rob Bonta (D) | 59.1 | 6,339,441 |
 | Nathan Hochman (R) | 40.9 | 4,390,428 | |
| Total votes: 10,729,869 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Attorney General of California
Incumbent Rob Bonta and Nathan Hochman defeated Eric Early, Anne Marie Schubert, and Daniel Kapelovitz in the primary for Attorney General of California on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Rob Bonta (D) | 54.3 | 3,756,486 |
| ✔ | | Nathan Hochman (R) | 18.2 | 1,256,465 |
 | Eric Early (R) | 16.5 | 1,142,747 | |
 | Anne Marie Schubert (Independent) | 7.8 | 539,746 | |
 | Daniel Kapelovitz (G) | 3.2 | 219,912 | |
| Total votes: 6,915,356 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for Attorney General of California
Incumbent Xavier Becerra defeated Steven C. Bailey in the general election for Attorney General of California on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Xavier Becerra (D) | 63.6 | 7,790,743 |
 | Steven C. Bailey (R) | 36.4 | 4,465,587 | |
| Total votes: 12,256,330 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Attorney General of California
Incumbent Xavier Becerra and Steven C. Bailey defeated Dave Jones and Eric Early in the primary for Attorney General of California on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Xavier Becerra (D) | 45.8 | 3,024,611 |
| ✔ | | Steven C. Bailey (R) | 24.5 | 1,615,859 |
 | Dave Jones (D) | 15.4 | 1,017,427 | |
| Eric Early (R) | 14.3 | 943,071 | |
| Total votes: 6,600,968 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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. | ||||
2014
| Attorney General of California, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Kamala Harris Incumbent |
57.5% | 4,102,649 | |
| Republican | Ronald Gold | 42.5% | 3,033,476 | |
| Total Votes | 7,136,125 | |||
| Election results via California Secretary of State | ||||
Full History
To view the electoral history dating back to 2006 for the office of California Attorney General, click [show] to expand the section. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2010
2006
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Term limits
Attorneys general, like all state constitutional officers, face an absolute limit of two terms in office.[9]
Vacancies
The vacancy procedure for the office of attorney general is determined by the Constitution. When a vacancy occurs, the governor nominates a replacement to serve the remainder of the term under the next election. The appointee must be confirmed by a majority of both house of the California legislature. Until the replacement is approved, the former officeholder's chief deputy exercises the office.[10]
California Constitution, Article 5, Section 5b
|
Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, or Attorney General, or on the State Board of Equalization, the Governor shall nominate a person to fill the vacancy who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority of the membership of the Senate and a majority of the membership of the Assembly and who shall hold office for the balance of the unexpired term. In the event the nominee is neither confirmed nor refused confirmation by both the Senate and the Assembly within 90 days of the submission of the nomination, the nominee shall take office as if he or she had been confirmed by a majority of the Senate and Assembly; provided, that if such 90-day period ends during a recess of the Legislature, the period shall be extended until the sixth day following the day on which the Legislature reconvenes. |
Duties
The attorney general acts as the state's chief law officer and oversees the California Department of Justice. He or she supervises the state's district and city attorneys, as well as its law enforcement officers. The attorney general may personally prosecute any case that would normally be handled by a district or city attorney and represents the state in all cases before the California Supreme Court. Additionally, the attorney general is responsible for issuing formal legal advice to state agencies and officers.[11]
The attorney general also has a policymaking role in state law enforcement and "establishes and operates projects and programs to protect Californians from fraudulent, unfair, and illegal activities that victimize consumers or threaten public safety."[1] Examples include the Medi-Cal Fraud & Elder Abuse, Megan's Law (sex offenses), California's Most Wanted and Campaign Against Marijuana Planting programs.[12]
He or she also fulfills a number of administrative duties, including preparing an annual report for the governor of California on the state of his department, calling meetings of state law enforcement officers and disposing of property forfeited to the state by court judgments.[13]
Divisions
As of January 12, 2021, the California Attorney General's Office is composed of the following divisions.[14]
- Public Safety
- Opinions and Quo Warranto
- Research Advisory Panel
- Research Center
- Children & Families
- Civil Rights
- Consumer Protection
- Environment & Public Health
State budget
- See also: California state budget and finances
The budget for the attorney general-led Department of Justice was $1,274,974,000 in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.[15]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
The salaries of California's elected executives are determined by the California Citizens Compensation Commission, a seven-member board appointed by the governor to six-year terms. The commission was established after voters passed Proposition 112, an amendment to the California Constitution, in 1990. Commissioners meet prior to June 30 of each year to determine salary recommendations with changes effective the following December. From 2001 to 2013, the commission voted to increase salaries or benefits five times and decreased or made no changes to salaries eight times.[16]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $189,841, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
2021
In 2021, the attorney general received a salary of $182,189, according to the Council of State Governments.[18]
2020
In 2020, the attorney general received a salary of $182,189, according to the Council of State Governments.[19]
2019
In 2019, the attorney general received a salary of $175,182, according to the Council of State Governments.[20]
2018
In 2018, the attorney general received a salary of $170,080, according to the Council of State Governments.[21]
2017
In 2017, the attorney general received a salary of $165,126, according to the Council of State Governments.[22]
2016
In 2016, the attorney general received a salary of $158,775, according to the Council of State Governments.[23]
2015
In 2015, the attorney general received a salary of $154,150, according to the Council of State Governments.[24]
2014
In 2014, the attorney general received a salary of $151,127, according to the Council of State Governments.[25]
2013
In 2013, the attorney general received a salary of $151,127. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.[26]
2010
In 2010, the attorney general received a salary of $151,127.[27]
Historical officeholders
There have been 33 California attorneys general since 1849. Of the 32 officeholders, 19 were Democrat, 13 were Republican and one was American Independent.[28]
| List of Former Officeholders from 1849-Present | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | Edward J. C. Kewan | 1849-1850 |  Democratic
| ||
| 2 | James A. McDougall | 1850-1852 | Democratic
| ||
| 3 | S. Clinton Hastings | 1852-1854 | Democratic
| ||
| 4 | John R. McConnell | 1854-1854 | Democratic
| ||
| 5 | William M. Stewart | 1854-1856 | Democratic
| ||
| 6 | William T. Wallace | 1856-1858 |  American Independent Party
| ||
| 7 | Thomas H. Williams | 1858-1862 | Democratic
| ||
| 8 | Frank M. Pixley | 1862-1863 |  Republican
| ||
| 9 | John G. McCullough | 1863-1867 | Republican Unionist
| ||
| 10 | Jo Hamilton | 1867-1871 | Democratic
| ||
| 11 | John Lord Love | 1871-1875 | Republican
| ||
| 12 | Jo Hamilton | 1875-1880 | Democratic
| ||
| 13 | Augustus L. Hart | 1880-1883 | Republican
| ||
| 14 | Edward C. Marshall | 1883-1883 | Democratic
| ||
| 15 | George A. Johnson | 1883-1887 | Democratic
| ||
| 16 | Wm. H. H. Hart | 1887-1891 | Republican
| ||
| 17 | William F. Fitzgerald | 1891-1899 | Republican
| ||
| 18 | Tirey L. Ford | 1899-1902 | Republican
| ||
| 19 | Ulysses S. Webb | 1902-1939 | Republican
| ||
| 20 | Earl Warren | 1939-1943 | Republican
| ||
| 21 | Robert W. Kenny | 1943-1947 | Democratic
| ||
| 22 | Fred N. Howser | 1947-1951 | Republican
| ||
| 23 | Edmund G. Brown | 1951-1959 | Democratic
| ||
| 24 | Stanley Mosk | 1959-1964 | Democratic
| ||
| 25 | Thomas C. Lynch | 1964-1971 | Democratic
| ||
| 26 | Evelle J. Younger | 1971-1979 | Republican
| ||
| 27 | George Deukmejian | 1979-1983 | Republican
| ||
| 28 | John Van de Kamp | 1983-1991 | Democratic
| ||
| 29 | Dan Lungren | 1991-1999 | Republican
| ||
| 30 | Bill Lockyer | 1999-2007 | Democratic
| ||
| 31 | Jerry Brown | 2007-2011 | Democratic
| ||
| 32 | Kamala Harris | 2011-2017 | Democratic
| ||
| 33 | Xavier Becerra | 2017 - 2021 | Democratic
| ||
| 34 | Matthew Rodriquez | 2021 | Democratic
| ||
| 35 | Rob Bonta | 2021 - Present | Democratic
| ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms California Attorney General Rob Bonta. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
Physical address:
Attorney General's Office
California Department of Justice
Attention: Public Inquiry Unit
Post Office Box 944255
Sacramento, CA 94244-2550
Phone: 916-210-6276
Fax: 916-323-5341
See also
| California | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 State of California Department of Justice, "About the AG," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, "Governor Newsom Swears in Rob Bonta as Attorney General of California," April 23, 2021
- ↑ California Government Code, "Part 2, Chapter 6, Article 1, Section 12503," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Summary of Qualifications and Requirements for June 8, 2010 Primary Election... Attorney general, Controller, or Treasurer," accessed June 23, 2011
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Sections 1001-1003," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ California Constitution, "Article 5, Section 11," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "2010 General Election Results"
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "General Election -Statement of Vote, November 7, 2006," accessed January 25, 2022
- ↑ California Constitution, "Article 5, Section 11," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ California Constitution, "Article 5, Section 5b," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ California Constitution, Article 5, Section 13
- ↑ Office of the Attorney General, "Programs A-Z," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ Office of the Attorney General, "Publications," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ California Attorney General's Office, "About," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ California Budget, "2023-24 Budget - 0820 Department of Justice," accessed December 6, 2023
- ↑ California Citizens Compensation Commission, "About the Commission," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ 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 7, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 7, 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
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2010 -- Table 4.11," accessed June 23, 2011
- ↑ National Governors Association, "History of California Constitutional Officers," accessed April 13, 2015
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