Attorney General of Connecticut
| Connecticut Attorney General | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $110,000 |
| 2024 FY Budget: | $38,721,560 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | General Statutes of Connecticut, 3-35-124 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
Attorney General of Connecticut
William Tong | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Other Connecticut Executive Offices | |
| Governor•Lieutenant Governor•Secretary of State•Attorney General•Treasurer•Comptroller•Commissioner of Education•Agriculture Commissioner•Insurance Commissioner•Energy & Environmental Protection Commissioner•Labor Commissioner•Public Utilities Regulatory Authority | |
The Attorney General of Connecticut is the chief legal officer of the state. The office of the attorney general was officially established in 1897. The Connecticut Constitution and General Statutes authorize the attorney general to represent the interests of the people of Connecticut in all civil legal matters involving the state to protect the public interest, and to serve as legal counsel to all state agencies.[1]
Connecticut has a Democratic triplex. The Democratic Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
Current officeholder
The current and 25th attorney general is William Tong, a Democrat who was elected in November 2018 and assumed office on January 9, 2019.
Tong previously represented District 147 in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019.[2]
Authority
The office of attorney general, though it is mentioned in the state constitution, is formally established by state statute.[1]
General Statutes of Connecticut, 3-35-124
|
There shall be an Attorney General to be elected in the same manner as other state officers in accordance with the provisions of section 9-181. |
Qualifications
The attorney general must be an elector of the state, i.e. at least 18 years old and a resident of Connecticut, and must have "at least ten years' active practice at the bar of [the] state."[1]
General Statutes of Connecticut, 3-35-124
|
The Attorney General shall be an elector of this state and an attorney at law of at least ten years' active practice at the bar of this state. |
Elections
Attorneys general are elected to four-year terms in federal midterm election years (e.g. 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026) and take office on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in the January following their election.[3]
General Statutes of Connecticut, 9-146-181
|
At the state election to be held in 1966, and quadrennially thereafter, there shall be elected a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary, Treasurer, Comptroller and Attorney General to hold their respective offices from the Wednesday following the first Monday of the January next succeeding their election until the Wednesday following the first Monday of the fifth January succeeding their election and until their successors are qualified. |
2022
General election
General election for Attorney General of Connecticut
Incumbent William Tong defeated Jessica Kordas, A.P. Pascarella, and Ken Krayeske in the general election for Attorney General of Connecticut on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | William Tong (D / Working Families Party) | 57.1 | 713,894 |
 | Jessica Kordas (R) | 41.4 | 518,128 | |
 | A.P. Pascarella (Independent Party) | 0.9 | 11,788 | |
 | Ken Krayeske (G) | 0.6 | 7,103 | |
| Total votes: 1,250,913 | |||
 = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent William Tong advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Connecticut.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Jessica Kordas advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of Connecticut.
2018
General election
General election for Attorney General of Connecticut
William Tong defeated Susan Hatfield and Peter Goselin in the general election for Attorney General of Connecticut on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | William Tong (D) | 52.5 | 715,340 |
 | Susan Hatfield (R) | 46.5 | 633,360 | |
 | Peter Goselin (G) | 1.1 | 14,358 | |
| Total votes: 1,363,058 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Attorney General of Connecticut
William Tong defeated Chris Mattei and Paul Doyle in the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Connecticut on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | William Tong | 57.4 | 119,574 |
 | Chris Mattei | 25.8 | 53,822 | |
 | Paul Doyle | 16.7 | 34,822 | |
| Total votes: 208,218 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Clare Kindall (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Attorney General of Connecticut
Susan Hatfield defeated John Shaban in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Connecticut on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Susan Hatfield | 79.3 | 106,076 |
 | John Shaban | 20.7 | 27,639 | |
| Total votes: 133,715 | |||
| = 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 Connecticut, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  George Jepsen Incumbent |
56.7% | 590,225 | |
| Republican | Kie Westby | 41.1% | 427,869 | |
| Green | Stephen Fournier | 2.1% | 22,361 | |
| Total Votes | 1,040,455 | |||
| Election results via Connecticut Secretary of State | ||||
Full history
To view the electoral history dating back to 1998 for the office of Attorney General of Connecticut, click [show] to expand the section. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2010 On November 2, 2010, George C. Jepsen won election to the office of Attorney General of Connecticut. He defeated Martha Dean (Republican) and Stephen Fournier (Green) in the general election.
2006 On November 7, 2006, Richard Blumenthal won re-election to the office of Attorney General of Connecticut. He defeated Robert Farr (Republican), Nancy Burton (Green) and John M. Joy (Write-in) in the general election.
2002 On November 5, 2002, Richard Blumenthal won re-election to the office of Attorney General of Connecticut. He defeated Martha Dean (Republican) in the general election.
1998 On November 3, 1998, Richard Blumenthal won re-election to the office of Attorney General of Connecticut. He defeated Santa Mendoza (R) and Richard J. Pober (L) in the general election.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Term limits
Connecticut state executive officers, including the attorney general, do not face term limits.
Vacancies
When a vacancy occurs in the office of attorney general, the governor appoints a replacement to serve out the unexpired portion of the term.[4]
General Statutes of Connecticut, 9-146-213
|
(b) Any vacancy in the office of Attorney General shall be filled by appointment by the Governor for the unexpired portion of the term. |
Duties
The attorney general has, "general supervision over all legal matters in which the state is an interested party." He represents state agencies and employees in their official capacities and provides advisory opinions when necessary.[5]
Additionally, the attorney general may establish legal task forces or units to pursue specific types of crime, e.g. the healthcare fraud unit, antitrust department and consumer protection department. The attorney general's office also provides citizens with a number of educational materials related to deceptive trade practices, banking regulations, etc.[6]
Divisions
As of January 12, 2020, the attorney general's office of Connecticut is divided into the following departments.[7]
- Antitrust
- Child Protection
- Civil Rights/Torts
- Collections & Child Support
- Consumer Protection
- Energy
- Employment Rights
- Environment
- Finance
- Health & Education
- Healthcare Fraud/Whistleblower
- Privacy
- Public Safety & Special Revenue
- Special Litigation
- Transportation, Housing, and Public Works
- Workers' Compensation and Labor Relations
State budget
- See also: Connecticut state budget and finances
The budget for the Attorney General's Office in Fiscal Year 2024 was $38,721,560.[8]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
The salaries of Connecticut's elected state executives are determined by law as mandated by the Connecticut Constitution.[9] Article IV, Section 7 of the state constitution also requires all changes in salary to take effect following the next election for the affected offices. The attorney general's salary is set by Chapter 35, Section 3 of the Colorado Statutes.[1] The attorney general's salary was last raised to $110,000 effective January 2003.[10]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $110,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2021
In 2021, the attorney general received a salary of $110,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2020
In 2020, the attorney general received a salary of $110,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2019
In 2019, the attorney general received a salary of $119,625, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2018
In 2018, the attorney general received a salary of $110,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2017
In 2017, the attorney general received a salary of $110,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2016
In 2016, the attorney general received a salary of $110,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
2015
In 2015, the attorney general received a salary of $110,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[18]
2014
In 2014, the attorney general received a salary of $110,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[19]
2013
In 2013, the attorney general received a salary of $110,000. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.[20]
2012
In 2012, the attorney general was paid an estimated $110,000. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.
Historical officeholders
| # | Name | Term | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Phelps | 1899-1903 | Republican |
| 2 | William A. King | 1903-1907 | Republican |
| 3 | Marcus H. Holcomb | 1907-1910 | Republican |
| 4 | John H. Light | 1910-1915 | Republican |
| 5 | George E. Hinman | 1915-1919 | Republican |
| 6 | Frank E. Healy | 1919-1927 | Republican |
| 7 | Benjamin W. Alling | 1927-1931 | Republican |
| 8 | Warren B. Burrows | 1931-1935 | Republican |
| 9 | Edward J. Daly | 1935-1937 | Democratic |
| 10 | Charles P. McLaughlin | 1937-1938 | Democratic |
| 11 | Dennis P. O'Connor | 1938-1939 | Democratic |
| 12 | Francis A. Pallotti | 1939-1945 | Republican |
| 13 | William L. Hadden | 1945-1951 | Republican |
| 14 | George C. Conway | 1951-1953 | Republican |
| 15 | William L. Beers | 1953-1955 | Republican |
| 16 | John J. Bracken | 1955-1959 | Republican |
| 17 | Albert L. Coles | 1959-1963 | Democratic |
| 18 | Harold M. Mulvey | 1963-1967 | Democratic |
| 19 | Robert K. Killian | 1967-1975 | Democratic |
| 20 | Carl R. Ajello | 1975-1983 | Democratic |
| 21 | Joseph I. Lieberman | 1983-1989 | Democratic |
| 22 | Clarine Nardi Riddle | 1989-1991 | Democratic |
| 23 | Richard Blumenthal | 1991-2011 | Democratic |
| 24 | George Jepsen | 2011-2019 | Democratic |
| 25 | William Tong | 2019-present | Democratic[21] |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Connecticut Attorney General. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
Capitol Address:
Office of the Attorney General
Post Office Box 120
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: (860) 808-5318
Fax: (860) 808-5387
E-mail: [email protected]
See also
External links
Articles
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 General Statutes of Connecticut, "3-35-124," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ The Office of Attorney General of Connecticut, "Attorney General William Tong Biography," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ General Statutes of Connecticut, "9-146-181," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ General Statutes of Connecticut, "9-146-213," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ General Statutes of Connecticut, "3-35-125," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ Office of the Connecticut Attorney General, "2019-2020 Annual Report," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ The Office of the Attorney General of Connecticut, "Departments," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ Connecticut Office of Policy and Management, "2024-2025 Biennial Budget," accessed December 6, 2023
- ↑ Justia, "2012 Connecticut General Statutes," accessed February 20, 2015
- ↑ General Statutes of Connecticut, "3-35-124," accessed January 12, 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
- ↑ State of Connecticut Office of the Attorney General, "Biographies of the Attorneys General of Connecticut," http://www.ct.gov/ag/cwp/view.asp?a=2132&q=295144#mcl, accessed 4 Sep 2008.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
