Attorney General of Rhode Island

	Rhode Island Attorney General
	; ; ;
	General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
Compensation:	$130,413
2024 FY Budget:	$43,227,795
Term limits:	Two consecutive terms
	Structure
Length of term:	4 years
Authority:	Rhode Island general laws, Section 42-9-1
Selection Method:	Elected
	Current Officeholder
	Attorney General of Rhode Island Peter Neronha; Democratic Party; Assumed office: January 1, 2019
	Elections
Next election:	November 3, 2026
Last election:	November 8, 2022
	Other Rhode Island Executive Offices
	Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission

The Attorney General of Rhode Island is an elected executive position in the Rhode Island state government. The attorney general is the state's chief law enforcement officer. The department of the attorney general is responsible for the prosecution of all felony criminal cases and misdemeanor appeals brought by state law. The attorney general represents all agencies, departments, and commissions in litigation and initiates legal action to protect the interests of Rhode Island citizens. The attorney general provides legal advice to state officers and state agencies whenever requested. The attorney general is elected every four years in midterm elections and cannot serve more than two consecutive terms in office.^[1]

Rhode Island has a Democratic triplex. The Democratic Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.

Current officeholder

The current officeholder is Democrat Peter Neronha. He was first elected in November 2018 and assumed office in January 2019.^[2]

Authority

The office of attorney general, with the state attorney general as its head, is established in the Rhode Island Constitution and Section 42-9-1 of the Rhode Island general laws.

§ 42-9-1:

(a) There shall be a department of the attorney general. The head of the department shall be the attorney general who shall have supervision over the department and shall appoint thirty (30) assistant attorneys general.^[3]

Qualifications

According to the Rhode Island Secretary of State, "if you are a registered voter who is 18 years of age or older, you may run for any political office in Rhode Island other than senator in Congress."^[4]

at least 18 years old
a registered voter

Elections

Article IV, Section 1 of the state constitution specifies that the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and treasurer are to be elected every 4 years during the November general election and shall hold their offices beginning the first Tuesday of January next succeeding their election, until their successors are elected and qualified. The offices are elected in midterm election years (2014, 2018, 2022, etc.).^[3]

2022

See also: Rhode Island Attorney General election, 2022

General election

General election for Attorney General of Rhode Island

Incumbent Peter Neronha defeated Charles Calenda in the general election for Attorney General of Rhode Island on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Peter Neronha (D)	61.5	217,066
	Charles Calenda (R)	38.4	135,471
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	460

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 352,997
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Alan Gordon (Independent)
Rebecca McLaughlin (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Attorney General of Rhode Island

Incumbent Peter Neronha advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Rhode Island on September 13, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Peter Neronha	100.0	94,665

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 94,665
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Rhode Island

Charles Calenda advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of Rhode Island on September 13, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Charles Calenda	100.0	18,557

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 18,557
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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