Attorney General of Wisconsin

Attorney General of Wisconsin
Seal of the attorney general of Wisconsin
Incumbent
Josh Kaul
since January 7, 2019
Wisconsin Department of Justice
Style
SeatWisconsin State Capitol
Madison, Wisconsin
AppointerGeneral election
Term lengthFour years, no term limits
Constituting instrumentWisconsin Constitution of 1848, Article VI
Inaugural holderJames S. Brown
FormationJune 7, 1848
(178 years ago) (June 7, 1848)
Salary$148,242
WebsiteOfficial page
Official twitter

The attorney general of Wisconsin is an officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.

List of attorneys general of Wisconsin

This is a list of attorneys general for Wisconsin, from before statehood to present.

Number of attorneys general of Wisconsin by party affiliation
Party Attorneys
Republican 28
Democratic 16
Progressive 1

Wisconsin Territory

Before statehood, the Wisconsin Territory also had several attorneys general appointed by the governor of the territory.

Image Name Took office Left office Territorial governor
Henry S. Baird 1836 1839 Henry Dodge
Horatio N. Wells 1839 1841 Henry Dodge
Mortimer M. Jackson 1842 1844 James Doty
William Pitt Lynde 1844 1845 Nathaniel P. Tallmadge
Mortimer M. Jackson 1845 1846 Henry Dodge
A. Hyatt Smith 1846 1848

State of Wisconsin

  Democratic   Republican   Progressive

# Image Name Party Took office Left office
1 James S. Brown
(1824–1878) 		Democratic June 7, 1848 January 7, 1850
2 S. Park Coon
(1820–1883)		 Democratic January 7, 1850 January 5, 1852
3 Experience Estabrook
(1813–1894)		 Democratic January 5, 1852 January 2, 1854
4 George Baldwin Smith
(1823–1879)		 Democratic January 2, 1854 January 7, 1856
5 William Rudolph Smith
(1787–1868)		 Democratic January 7, 1856 January 4, 1858
6 Gabriel Bouck
(1828–1904)		 Democratic January 4, 1858 January 2, 1860
7 James Henry Howe
(1827–1893)		 Republican January 2, 1860 October 7, 1862
8 Winfield Smith
(1827–1899)		 Republican October 7, 1862 January 1, 1866
9 Charles R. Gill
(1830–1883)		 Republican January 1, 1866 January 3, 1870
10 Stephen Steele Barlow
(1818–1900)		 Republican January 3, 1870 January 5, 1874
11 A. Scott Sloan
(1820–1895)		 Liberal Republican January 5, 1874 January 7, 1878
12 Alexander Wilson
(1833–1888)		 Republican January 7, 1878 January 2, 1882
13 Leander F. Frisby
(1825–1889)		 Republican January 2, 1882 January 3, 1887
14 Charles E. Estabrook
(1847–1918)		 Republican January 3, 1887 January 5, 1891
15 James L. O'Connor
(1858–1931)		 Democratic January 5, 1891 January 7, 1895
16 William H. Mylrea
(1853–1916)		 Republican January 7, 1895 January 2, 1899
17 Emmett R. Hicks
(1854–1925)		 Republican January 2, 1899 January 5, 1903
18 Lafayette M. Sturdevant
(1856–1923)		 Republican January 5, 1903 January 7, 1907
19 Frank L. Gilbert
(1864–1930)		 Republican January 7, 1907 January 2, 1911
20 Levi H. Bancroft
(1861–1948)		 Republican January 2, 1911 January 6, 1913
21 Walter C. Owen
(1868–1934)		 Republican January 6, 1913 January 7, 1918
22 Spencer Haven
(1868–1938)		 Republican January 7, 1918 January 6, 1919
23 John J. Blaine
(1875–1934)		 Republican January 6, 1919 January 3, 1921
24 William J. Morgan
(1883–1983)		 Republican January 3, 1921 January 1, 1923
25 Herman L. Ekern
(1872–1954)		 Republican January 1, 1923 January 3, 1927
26 John W. Reynolds Sr.
(1876–1958)		 Republican January 3, 1927 January 2, 1933
27 James E. Finnegan
(1892–1966)		 Democratic January 2, 1933 January 4, 1937
28 Orland Steen Loomis
(1893–1942)		 Progressive January 4, 1937 January 2, 1939
29 John E. Martin
(1891–1968)		 Republican January 2, 1939 June 1, 1948
vacant June 1, 1948 June 5, 1948
30 Grover L. Broadfoot
(1892-1962)		 Republican June 5, 1948 November 12, 1948
31 Thomas E. Fairchild
(1912–2007)		 Democratic November 12, 1948 January 1, 1951
32 Vernon W. Thomson
(1905–1988)		 Republican January 1, 1951 January 7, 1957
33 Stewart G. Honeck
(1906–1999)		 Republican January 7, 1957 January 5, 1959
34 John W. Reynolds Jr.
(1921–2002)		 Democratic January 5, 1959 January 7, 1963
35 George Thompson
(1918–1992)		 Republican January 7, 1963 January 4, 1965
36 Bronson La Follette
(1936–2018)		 Democratic January 4, 1965 January 6, 1969
37 Robert W. Warren
(1925–1998)		 Republican January 6, 1969 October 8, 1974
38 Victor A. Miller
(1916–1984)		 Democratic October 8, 1974 November 25, 1974
39 Bronson La Follette
(1936–2018)		 Democratic November 25, 1974 January 5, 1987
40 Don Hanaway
(1933–1995)		 Republican January 5, 1987
[source?]		 January 7, 1991
41 Jim Doyle
(born 1945)		 Democratic January 7, 1991 January 6, 2003
42 Peggy Lautenschlager
(1955–2018)		 Democratic January 6, 2003 January 3, 2007
43 J.B. Van Hollen
(born 1966)		 Republican January 3, 2007 January 5, 2015
44 Brad Schimel
(born 1965)		 Republican January 5, 2015 January 7, 2019
45 Josh Kaul
(born 1980)		 Democratic January 7, 2019 Incumbent
Notes:
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Resigned from office.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Appointed to fill unexpired term.
  3. ↑ Some sources record Leander Frisby's surname as "Frisbie".

References

  1. ↑ Salaries of Wisconsin State Elected Officials (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. 2019. p. 2. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Executive Profiles | Wisconsin Department of Justice".
  3. ↑ "Kaul for Attorney General". Kaul for Attorney General. April 4, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Constitutional Offices".
  5. ↑ "Wisconsin Territory". Archived from the original on October 12, 2008.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Anderson, William J. (1929). William A. Anderson (ed.). The Wisconsin blue book, 1929. Madison, Wisconsin: Democrat Printing Company. p. 152. Retrieved 2008-05-08.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Barish, Lawrence S., ed. (2007). "Chapter 8: Statistical Information on Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2007–2008 (PDF). Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 722–724. ISBN 978-0-9752820-2-1. Archived from the original on 2011-08-11. Retrieved 2008-05-08.
  8. ↑ "Governor Takes Oath Amid Cheers of 5,000" (PDF). Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. January 3, 1933. p. 1. Retrieved 2010-04-21.[permanent dead link]
  9. ↑ "New Administrations Started" (PDF). Oshkosh Daily Northwestern. Oshkosh, Wisconsin. January 4, 1937. p. 6. Retrieved 2010-04-21.[permanent dead link]
  10. ↑ "Gov. Julius P. Heil Takes Office" (PDF). The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. January 2, 1939. p. 1. Retrieved 2010-04-21.[permanent dead link]
  11. ↑ "Highlights of Inauguration Ceremony as Five State Republican Officials Take Oaths in Capitol" (PDF). Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. January 2, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved 2010-04-21.[permanent dead link]
  12. ↑ "Thomson Takes Oath, Pledges Common Sense" (PDF). Stevens Point Daily Journal. Stevens Point, Wisconsin. January 7, 1957. p. 1. Retrieved 2010-04-21.[permanent dead link]
  13. ↑ "Gaylord Nelson Becomes State's 34th Governor" (PDF). Stevens Point Daily Journal. Stevens Point, Wisconsin. January 5, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved 2010-04-21.[permanent dead link]
  14. ↑ "Reynolds Calls for Unity At Inaugural Ceremonies" (PDF). Oshkosh Daily Northwestern. Oshkosh, Wisconsin. January 7, 1963. p. 1. Retrieved 2010-04-21.[permanent dead link]
  15. ↑ "Knowles Seeks State's Aid in Move Forward" (PDF). Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. January 5, 1965. p. 1. Retrieved 2010-04-21.[permanent dead link]
  16. ↑ "Knowles Stresses Need for Priorities" (PDF). Manitowoc Herald Times. Manitowoc, Wisconsin. January 6, 1969. p. 1. Retrieved 2010-04-21.[permanent dead link]
  17. ↑ "Thompson takes oath, praises school choice" (PDF). Ironwood Daily Globe. Ironwood, Michigan. January 8, 1991. p. 7. Retrieved 2010-04-21.[permanent dead link]
  18. ↑ "The guard changes". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. January 7, 2003. p. 1A. ProQuest 261710319.
  19. ↑ "At inauguration, Doyle keeps focus on health care, schools; Legislative leaders make bipartisan pledges after Capitol ceremonies". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. January 4, 2007. p. 1B. ProQuest 263656000.