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Attorney General of Maryland
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The attorney general has general charge, supervision and direction of the legal business of the state. He or she is the legal advisor and representative of the governor, the General Assembly, the Judiciary, and the major departments, various boards, commissions, officials and institutions of state government. The office further represents the state in all cases pending in the Appellate Courts of the state, and in the United States Supreme Court and lower Federal Courts.
Current officeholder
The current officeholder is Doug Gansler. He first won election in 2006 and his current term expires in 2014.
Authority
The office of the Attorney General is established by Article 5, Section 1 of the Maryland Constitution.
Article 5, Section 1:
| There shall be an Attorney-General elected by the qualified voters of the State, on general ticket, on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November... |
Qualifications
Here is a list of the standard qualifications necessary under Maryland State Law in order to be considered for the Office of State Attorney General:
- "No person shall be eligible to the office of Attorney General, who is not a citizen of this State, and a qualified voter therein, and has not resided and practiced Law in this State for at least ten years." (Maryland Constitution, Article V § 4)
Elections
Maryland elects attorneys general in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not Presidential election years. For Maryland, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 are all attorney general election years.
Vacancies
The state Constitution addresses vacancies in the office of attorney general in Article V, Section 5.
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In case of vacancy in the office of Attorney General, occasioned by death, resignation, removal from the State, or from office, or other disqualification, the Governor shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy for the residue of the term. |
Campaign finance
The Attorney General of Maryland is responsible for prosecuting criminal violations of Maryland's campaign finance laws. All civil violations are prosecuted by the local prosecuting attorney. If someone feels a person or committee violated Maryland's campaign finance laws, the first step is to file a complaint with the Maryland State Board of Elections. It is up to the Commissioner of the State Board of Elections to investigate the complaint before referring it to the Attorney General or the local prosecuting attorney. [1]
Electoral history
2006
| 2006 Race for Attorney General - Democratic Primary [2] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
 Doug Gansler (D)
|
55.7% | |||
| Stuart O. Simms (D) | 44.3% | |||
| Total votes | 513,715 | |||
| 2006 Race for Attorney General - General Election [3] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
| Doug Gansler (D)
|
61% | |||
| Scott L. Rolle (R) | 38.9% | |||
| Write Ins | 0.1% | |||
| Total votes | 1,710,839 | |||
2010
- See also: Maryland Attorney General election, 2010
Compensation
In 2010, the Maryland Attorney General was paid an estimated $125,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[4]
Contact information
Office of the Attorney General
200 Saint Paul Place
Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 410-576-6300
Toll Free Phone: 1-888-743-0023
E-mail: oag@oag.state.md.us
See also
- Doug Gansler, Attorney General of Maryland
- Governor of Maryland
- Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
- Maryland Secretary of State
External links
References
- ↑ [Contacted Maryland Attorney General's and Secretary of State's Office on 1-5-2010 to confirm this information]
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections - Official 2006 Primary Election Results
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections - Official 2006 General Election Results
- ↑ The Council of State Governments,"The Book of States 2010 Table 4.11," retrieved August 13, 2011
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