Attorney General of Iowa
Incumbent
Brenna Bird
since January 3, 2023
TypeChief legal officer
SeatLucas State Office Building, Des Moines
FormationFebruary 9, 1853
WebsiteIowa Attorney General official website

The Attorney General of Iowa is the chief legal officer of the State of Iowa, United States.

The office was created February 9, 1853. The Office of the Attorney General is housed in the Lucas State Office Building in Des Moines; the attorney general also has a room in the Iowa State Capitol to prepare legislation.[1][failed verification]

As stated in Iowa law, the powers and duties of the office include: Representing the departments and agencies of state government; taking action for citizens in consumer protection and other areas; enforcing the state's environmental protection laws; playing a central role in the criminal justice system; and providing assistance and advocacy for the victims of crime. The attorney general also issues legal opinions on questions of law submitted by elected or appointed state officials and defends all tort claim actions against the state. Iowa is unique in that its attorney general belongs to the judicial branch of government; in 48 of the other 50 states, the attorney general is a member of the executive branch.[2]

Republican Brenna Bird has been Attorney General since 2023.

List of attorneys general of Iowa

Parties

  Democratic (7)   Republican (26)

No. Name[3][4] Took office Left office Party
1 David C. Cloud 1853 1856 Democratic
2 Samuel A. Rice 1856 1861 Republican
3 Charles C. Nourse 1861 1865 Republican
4 Isaac L. Allen 1865 1866 Republican
5 Frederick E. Bissell 1866 1867 Republican
6 Henry O'Connor 1867 1872 Republican
7 Marsena E. Cutts 1872 1877 Republican
8 John F. McJunkin 1877 1881 Republican
9 Smith McPherson 1881 1885 Republican
10 Andrew J. Baker 1885 1889 Republican
11 John Young Stone 1889 1895 Republican
12 Milton Remley[5] 1895 1901 Republican
13 Charles W. Mullan 1901 1907 Republican
14 John F. Riggs 1907 1909 Republican
15 Howard Webster Byers 1909 1911 Republican
16 George Cosson 1911 1917 Republican
17 H. M. Havner 1917 1921 Republican
18 Ben Gibson 1921 1927 Republican
19 John Fletcher 1927 1933 Republican
20 Edward L. O'Connor 1933 1937 Democratic
21 John H. Mitchell 1937 1938 Democratic
22 Fred D. Everett 1939 1940 Republican
23 John M. Rankin 1941 1947 Republican
24 Robert L. Larson 1947 1953 Republican
25 Leo Hoegh 1953 1955 Republican
26 Dayton Countryman 1955 1957 Republican
27 Norman A. Erbe 1957 1961 Republican
28 Evan Hultman 1961 1965 Republican
29 Lawrence F. Scalise 1965 1967 Democratic
30 Richard C. Turner 1967 1979 Republican
31 Tom Miller 1979 1991 Democratic
32 Bonnie Campbell 1991 1995 Democratic
33 Tom Miller 1995 2023 Democratic
34 Brenna Bird 2023 Incumbent Republican

References

  1. ^ "DAS - Press Releases". Archived from the original on 2012-03-12. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
  2. ^ Iowa Official Register. Iowa State Law Library: Iowa Secretary of State. 1999–2000. p. 20. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
  3. ^ "various Iowa Official Registers". Iowa. Archived from the original on 2006-10-11. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
  4. ^ "History of Iowa Vol. III Directory of Public Officials". Iowa History Project. GenWeb. Archived from the original on 2004-10-25.
  5. ^ Portrait and biographical record of Johnson, Poweshiek and Iowa counties, Iowa. 1893.

External links

Attorneys general of the United States
Statewide political officials of Iowa
Categories