View source for Attorney General of Kentucky

{{short description|Elected official in the U.S. state of Kentucky}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox Political post
|post            = Attorney General 
|body            = Kentucky
|insignia        = Kentucky Office of the Attorney General.svg
|insigniasize    = 120px
|insigniacaption = Seal of the attorney general
|imagesize       = 165px
|image           = Russell Coleman official photo (alt crop).jpg
|incumbent       = [[Russell Coleman]]
|incumbentsince  = January 1, 2024
|style           = The Honorable
|termlength      = Four years, two term limit
|formation       = [[Kentucky Constitution]]
|succession      = [[Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Kentucky|Third]]
|inaugural       = [[George Nicholas (politician)|George Nicholas]]<br />1792
|salary          = $139,724.88<ref>{{cite web|url=https://transparency.ky.gov/search/Pages/SalarySearch.aspx#/salary|title=Transparency.ky.gov - Salary Search|access-date=May 25, 2023|date=May 25, 2023}}</ref>
|website         = [http://ag.ky.gov Office of the Attorney General]
}}

The '''attorney general of Kentucky''' is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of [[Kentucky]], created by the [[Kentucky Constitution]] (Ky.Const. § 91). Under Kentucky law, they serve several roles, including the state's chief prosecutor (KRS 15.700), the state's chief law enforcement officer (KRS 15.700), and the state's chief law officer (KRS 15.020). As the chief prosecutor, the attorney general is the chairman of the Kentucky Prosecutors Advisory Council, which supervises the [[prosecutors]] of Kentucky (KRS 15.700, KRS 15.705). As chief law officer, they write opinions to advise government officials and agencies concerning the law. (KRS 15.020). The attorney general holds an [[ex officio]] seat on various Kentucky state boards and agencies.

The [[attorney general]] of Kentucky is elected for a four-year term in the same year other statewide officers are elected, rather than being [[wikt:appointment|appointed]] as in some states such as Alaska. A 1992 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution permits the attorney general of Kentucky to serve two consecutive terms. (Ky.Const. § 93). The attorney general appoints a deputy and various assistants to the attorney general, who have the power to act on his behalf. (KRS 15.100(1)).

The attorney general of Kentucky is currently Republican [[Russell Coleman]].

==List of attorneys general of Kentucky==
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
!#
! Image
! Name
! Political party
! Term
|-{{Party shading/Federalist}}
|1
|
|[[George Nicholas (politician)|George Nicholas]]
|Federalist
|1792–1793
|-{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}}
|2
|[[File:John-Breckinridge.jpg|60px]]
|[[John Breckinridge (U.S. Attorney General)|John Breckinridge]] 
|Democratic-Republican
|1793–1797
|-{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}}
|3
|
|James Blair
|Democratic-Republican
|1797–1820
|-{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}}
|4
|
|Joseph M. White
|Democratic-Republican
|1820
|-{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}}
|5
|[[File:Benjamin-Hardin-sketch.jpg|60px]]
|[[Benjamin Hardin|Ben Hardin]]
|Democratic-Republican
|1820–1821
|-{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}}
|6
|[[File:Solomon P Sharp.jpg|60px]]
|[[Solomon P. Sharp]]
|Democratic-Republican
|1821–1825
|-{{Party shading/Jacksonian}}
|7
|
|Frederick W. S. Grayson
|Jacksonian
|1825–1825
|--{{Party shading/Jacksonian}}
|8
|
|James W. Denny
|Jacksonian
|1825–1832
|-{{Party shading/Whig}}
|9
|[[File:CSMorehead.jpg|60px]]
|[[Charles S. Morehead|Charles Morehead]]
|Whig
|1832–1838
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|10
|
|Owen G. Cotes
|Democratic
|1838–1849
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|11
|[[File:Madison Conyers Johnson.jpg|60px]]
|Madison Conyers Johnson
|Democratic
|1849
|-{{Party shading/Whig}}
|12
|[[File:James Harlan (Kentucky attorney general).jpg|60px]]
|[[James Harlan (congressman)|James Harlan]]
|Whig
|1849–1859
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|13
|
|Andrew J. James
|Democratic
|1859–1861
|-{{Party shading/Unionist}}
|14
|[[File:John-Marshall-Harlan-sketch.jpg|60px]]
|[[John Marshall Harlan|John M. Harlan]] 
|Union
|1861–1865 
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|15
|
|John Rodman
|Democratic
|1865–1875
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|16
|
|Thomas Edward Moss
|Democratic
|1875–1879
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|17
|[[File:Parker-Watkins-Hardin-sketch.jpg|60px]]
|[[Parker Watkins Hardin]]
|Democratic
|1879–1889
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|18
|[[File:William-J.-Hendrick-sketch.jpg|60px]]
|William J. Hendrick
|Democratic
|1889–1896
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|19
|[[File:William Sylvester Taylor.jpg|60px]]
|[[William S. Taylor (Kentucky politician)|William S. Taylor]]
|Republican
|1896–1900
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|20
|
|R. J. Breckinridge
|Democratic
|1900–1902
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|21
|
|C. J. Pratt
|Democratic
|1902–1904
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|22
|
|N. B. Hays
|Democratic
|1904–1908
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|23
|
|James Breathitt
|Republican
|1908–1912
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|24
|
|James Garnett
|Democratic
|1912–1916
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|25
|[[File:M.-M.-Logan-(side).jpg|60px]]
|[[M. M. Logan]]
|Democratic
|1916–1917
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|26
|
|Charles H. Morris
|Democratic
|1917–1920
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|27
|[[File:Charles Irving Dawson portrait 1934.jpg|60px]]
|[[Charles I. Dawson]]
|Republican
|1920–1923
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|28
|[[File:Thos. B. McGregor LCCN2014712231.jpg|60px]]
|Thomas Burnett McGregor
|Democratic
|1923–1924
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|29
|
|Frank E. Daugherty
|Democratic
|1924–1928
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|30
|
|James W. Cammack
|Democratic<ref>Kentucky Official Primary Ballot, Democratic party, August 6, 1927</ref>
|1928–1932
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|31
|
|Bailey P. Wootton
|Democratic
|1932–1936
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|32
|
|[[Beverly M. Vincent|B. M. Vincent]]
|Democratic
|1936–1937
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|33
|
|Hubert Meredith
|Democratic
|1937–1944
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|34
|
|[[Eldon S. Dummit]]
|Republican
|1944–1948
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|35
|
|Alvarado E. Funk
|Democratic
|1948–1952
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|36
|
|J. D. Buckman, Jr.
|Democratic
|1952–1956
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|37
|
|Jo M. Ferguson
|Democratic
|1956–1960
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|38
|[[File:JohnBBreckinridge.jpg|60px]]
|[[John Bayne Breckinridge]]
|Democratic
|1960–1964
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|39
|
|[[Robert F. Matthews, Jr.]]
|Democratic
|1964–1968
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|40
|[[File:JohnBBreckinridge.jpg|60px]]
|John Bayne Breckinridge
|Democratic
|1968–1972
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|41
|
|Ed W. Hancock
|Democratic
|1972–1976
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|42
|
|[[Robert F. Stephens]]
|Democratic
|1976–1979
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|Acting
|rowspan=2|[[File:Steve Beshear (cropped).jpg|60px]]
|rowspan=2|[[Steve Beshear]]
|rowspan=2|Democratic
|1979–1980
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|43
|1980–1984
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|44
|
|[[David L. Armstrong]]
|Democratic
|1984–1988
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|45
|
|[[Fred Cowan]]
|Democratic
|1988–1992 
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|46
|
|Chris Gorman
|Democratic 
|1992–1996 
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|47
|[[File:A.B. Chandler.jpg|60px]]
|[[Ben Chandler]]
|Democratic
|1996–2004
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|48
|[[File:Greg Stumbo (cropped).jpg|60px]]
|[[Greg Stumbo]]
|Democratic
|2004–2008
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|49
|[[File:JackConway (cropped).jpg|60px]]
|[[Jack Conway (politician)|Jack Conway]]
|Democratic
|2008–2016
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|50
|[[File:Andy Beshear at Teacher's Rally 13 April 2018 (1).png|60px]]
|[[Andy Beshear]]
|Democratic
|2016–2019
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|Acting
|rowspan=2|[[File:Attorney General Daniel Cameron - Official Portrait (closer crop).jpg|60px]]
|rowspan=2|[[Daniel Cameron (American politician)|Daniel Cameron]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wymt.com/content/news/Andy-Beshear-appoints-Attorney-General-elect-Daniel-Cameron-to-fill-remainder-of-his-term-565904941.html |title=Andy Beshear appoints Attorney General-elect Daniel Cameron to fill remainder of his term |website=WYMT |access-date=2021-12-08}}</ref>
|rowspan=2|Republican
|2019–2020
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|51
|2020–2024
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|52
|[[File:Russell Coleman official photo (alt crop).jpg|60px]]
|[[Russell Coleman]]
|Republican
|2024–present
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://ag.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx Kentucky Attorney General] official website

The Kentucky Attorney General's Office is divided into the following divisions:
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061004152652/http://ag.ky.gov/hearings.htm Administrative Hearings Division]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061029001235/http://ag.ky.gov/childsupport/ Child Support Enforcement Commission (CSEC)]
* [[Kentucky Department of Criminal Investigation]] (DCI)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061029001252/http://ag.ky.gov/abuse/ Medicaid Fraud Division]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061011113951/http://ag.ky.gov/civil/ Office of Civil and Environmental Law]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061028005437/http://ag.ky.gov/consumer/ Office of Consumer Protection]
* [https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20110715081815/http://kentucky.gov/404.aspx Office of Criminal Appeals]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061028234910/http://ag.ky.gov/rate/ Office of Rate Intervention]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061028220956/http://ag.ky.gov/pac/ Prosecutors Advisory Council]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061004152359/http://ag.ky.gov/special.htm Special Prosecutions Division]
* [https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20110715081815/http://kentucky.gov/404.aspx Uninsured Employers' Fund]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061004133644/http://www.ag.ky.gov/victims/ Office for Victims Advocacy]

{{U.S. state attorneys general}}
{{Kentucky statewide elected officials}}

[[Category:Kentucky state courts]]
[[Category:Kentucky attorneys general| ]]
[[Category:Kentucky law-related lists]]