Attorney General of Missouri

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Missouri Attorney General

Seal of Missouri.svg.png

General information
Office Type:  Partisan
Office website:  Official Link
Compensation:  $122,332
2024 FY Budget:  $47,784,135
Term limits:  None
Structure
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:  Missouri Constitution, Article IV, Section 12 the Executive Department
Selection Method:  Elected
Current Officeholder

Attorney General of Missouri Andrew Bailey
Republican Party
Assumed office: January 3, 2023

Elections
Next election:  November 7, 2028
Last election:  November 5, 2024
Other Missouri Executive Offices
GovernorLieutenant GovernorSecretary of StateAttorney GeneralTreasurerAuditorCommissioner of EducationAgriculture DirectorInsurance DirectorNatural Resources DirectorLabor DirectorPublic Service Commission

The Attorney General of Missouri is an elected constitutional office within the executive branch of the Missouri state government. The office was created in 1806 when Missouri was part of the Louisiana Territory. Missouri's first state constitution in 1820 provided for an appointed attorney general, but since the 1865 constitution, the attorney general has been elected.[1]

By law, the attorney general is a member of the Board of Fund Commissioners, the Board of Public Buildings, the Governor's Committee on Interstate Cooperation, the Missouri Highway Reciprocity Commission and the Missouri Housing Development Commission.

Offices of the attorney general are located throughout the state of Missouri with the main office being in the Supreme Court building in Jefferson City.

Missouri has a Republican triplex. The Republican Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.

Current officeholder

The current Attorney General of Missouri is Andrew Bailey (R). Bailey assumed office in 2023.

Authority

The Missouri Constitution addresses the office of attorney general in Article IV, the Executive Department.

Under Article IV, Section 12:

The executive department shall consist of all state elective and appointive officials and employees except officials and employees of the legislative and judicial departments. In addition to the governor and lieutenant governor there shall be a state auditor, secretary of state, attorney general...

Qualifications

In order to serve as attorney general, an individual must be a U.S. citizen (number of years not specified) and have been a state resident for at least one year.[2]

Elections

Missouri state government organizational chart

Missouri elects attorneys general in the presidential elections, that is, in leap years. There are no term limits on the position.

2024

See also: Missouri Attorney General election, 2024

General election

General election for Attorney General of Missouri

Incumbent Andrew Bailey defeated Elad Gross and Ryan Munro in the general election for Attorney General of Missouri on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Andrew Bailey
Andrew Bailey (R)
 
59.8
 
1,739,626
Image of Elad Gross
Elad Gross (D) Candidate Connection
 
37.9
 
1,103,482
Image of Ryan Munro
Ryan Munro (L) Candidate Connection
 
2.3
 
66,878

Total votes: 2,909,986
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Attorney General of Missouri

Elad Gross advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Missouri on August 6, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Elad Gross
Elad Gross Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
344,661

Total votes: 344,661
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Missouri

Incumbent Andrew Bailey defeated Will Scharf in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Missouri on August 6, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Andrew Bailey
Andrew Bailey
 
63.0
 
413,915
Image of Will Scharf
Will Scharf Candidate Connection
 
37.0
 
243,012

Total votes: 656,927
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for Attorney General of Missouri

Ryan Munro advanced from the Libertarian primary for Attorney General of Missouri on August 6, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Ryan Munro
Ryan Munro Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
2,411

Total votes: 2,411
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2020

See also: Missouri Attorney General election, 2020

General election

General election for Attorney General of Missouri

Incumbent Eric Schmitt defeated Richard Finneran and Kevin Babcock in the general election for Attorney General of Missouri on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Eric Schmitt
Eric Schmitt (R)
 
59.4
 
1,752,792
Image of Richard Finneran
Richard Finneran (D) Candidate Connection
 
37.9
 
1,117,713
Kevin Babcock (L)
 
2.7
 
81,100

Total votes: 2,951,605
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Attorney General of Missouri

Richard Finneran defeated Elad Gross in the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Missouri on August 4, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Richard Finneran
Richard Finneran Candidate Connection
 
55.4
 
272,516
Image of Elad Gross
Elad Gross Candidate Connection
 
44.6
 
219,462

Total votes: 491,978
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Missouri

Incumbent Eric Schmitt advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of Missouri on August 4, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Eric Schmitt
Eric Schmitt
 
100.0
 
602,577

Total votes: 602,577
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for Attorney General of Missouri

Kevin Babcock advanced from the Libertarian primary for Attorney General of Missouri on August 4, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Kevin Babcock
 
100.0
 
4,089

Total votes: 4,089
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2016

See also: Missouri Attorney General election, 2016

The general election for attorney general was held on November 8, 2016.

Josh Hawley defeated Teresa Hensley in the Missouri attorney general election.

Missouri Attorney General, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png Josh Hawley 61.10% 1,389,196
     Democratic Teresa Hensley 38.90% 884,354
Total Votes 2,273,550
Source: Missouri Secretary of State

Full history


Vacancies

Article IV, Section 4 of the Missouri Constitution gives the governor the power to fill vacancies in public offices.

Text of Section 4:

Power of Appointment to Fill Vacancies--Tenure of Appointees

The governor shall fill all vacancies in public offices unless otherwise provided by law, and his appointees shall serve until their successors are duly elected or appointed and qualified.

Duties

The attorney general is the attorney for the entire state, representing the legal interests of Missouri and its state agencies.

As the state's chief legal officer, the attorney general must prosecute or defend all appeals to which the state is a party, including every felony criminal case appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court and courts of appeal. The attorney general also is required to institute, in the name and on behalf of the state, all civil suits and other proceedings that are necessary to protect the state's rights, interests or claims. The attorney general may appear, interplead, answer or defend any proceedings that involve the state's interests, or appear on behalf of the state in declaratory judgment proceedings when the constitutionality of a statute is challenged.

The attorney general also renders official opinions to the executive and legislative branch and the county prosecuting attorneys on questions of law relating to their duties. The attorney general may institute quo warranto proceedings against anyone unlawfully holding office or move to oust any public official for malfeasance in office.[4]

Divisions

As of January 11, 2021, the Office of the Attorney General of Missouri has two main divisions: Civil and Criminal.[5]

Role in the initiative process

According to the Missouri initiative and referendum guidelines, when ballot text is submitted to the state secretary of state, a copy of the text must be sent to the attorney general.

Both the secretary of state and attorney general will review the text to make sure that it complies with the form of an initiative. A copy of the ballot text is also sent to the state auditor in order to prepare a fiscal note and fiscal note summary statement. This must be completed within 20 days of the initiative being filed.

When the attorney general receives the fiscal note and summary, the ballot text will be reviewed for its legality. Approval or reject of the fiscal note summary will be sent to the state auditor within 10 days of receipt of the fiscal note. Based on this information the attorney general will reject or accept the contents and the ballot (along with the attorney general's comments) will be sent to the secretary of state within 10 days receipt of the sample ballot petition.

Campaign finance

Main article: Campaign finance requirements for Missouri ballot measures

The Attorney General of Missouri is responsible for all prosecution of criminal violations of Missouri's campaign finance laws. The Office of Prosecution Services is a division of the state attorney general's office and conducts all investigations of campaign finance law violations that are in the office's jurisdiction.[6]

The first step in filing a campaign finance complaint is to file with the Missouri Ethics Commission. An investigator must fully review the complaint and a vote of four members on the ethics commission is needed before any investigation can proceed.[7] All criminal investigations are forwarded to the attorney general from the ethics commission upon finding of probable cause.[8] All civil prosecutions are handled by the ethics commission.[9]

State budget

See also: Missouri state budget and finances

The attorney general's budget for fiscal year 2024 was $47,784,135.[10]

Compensation

The attorney general's salary is set by law and cannot be increased or reduced during the term. Section 3, Article XIII of the Missouri Constitution created a Citizens’ Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials, which sets the compensation of elected government officials. The 21-member commission meets every two years, and is not to be comprised of employees of the state or any of its institutions nor immediate family members of any person ineligible to serve on the council.[11]

Article IV, Section 21 of the Missouri Constitution addresses compensation of executive officials:

The officers named in this article shall receive for their services salaries fixed by law, which shall not be increased or diminished during their terms.

2023

In 2023, the officer's salary was $122,332, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]

2022

In 2022, the officer's salary was $119,348, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]

2021

In 2021, the attorney general received a salary of $116,437, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]

2020

In 2020, the attorney general received a salary of $116,437, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]

2019

In 2019, the attorney general received a salary of $116,437, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]

2018

In 2018, the attorney general received a salary of $116,437, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]

2017

In 2017, the attorney general received a salary of $116,437, according to the Council of State Governments.[18]

2016

In 2016, the attorney general received a salary of $116,437, according to the Council of State Governments.[19]

2015

In 2015, the attorney general received a salary of $116,437, according to the Council of State Governments.[20]

2014

In 2014, the attorney general earned a salary of $116,437, according to the Council of State Governments.[21]

2013

In 2013, the attorney general earned a salary of $116,437.[22]

2010

In 2010, the attorney general was paid an estimated $116,437, according to the Council of State Governments.[23]

Historical officeholders

Since 1820, Missouri has had 42 attorneys general. Of the 41, 30 have been Democrats, 11 Republicans and one Whig.[24]

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Missouri Attorney General. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Contact information

Missouri Attorney General's Office
Supreme Court Building
207 W. High St.
P.O. Box 899
Jefferson City, MO 65102

Phone: 573-751-3321
Fax: 573-751-0774
E-mail: ag@ago.mo.gov

See also

Missouri State Executive Elections News and Analysis
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Party control of state government
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External links

Footnotes

  1. The Office of the Missouri Attorney General, "About the Missouri Attorney General," accessed January 11, 2021
  2. Council of State Governments, "Table 4.20 Attorney General Qualifications for Office," accessed January 11, 2021
  3. Missouri Secretary of State, "November 6, 2012 General Election Results," accessed November 7, 2012
  4. Missouri Attorney General, "About the Office," accessed January 11, 2021
  5. Missouri Attorney General, "About the Office," accessed January 11, 2021
  6. Missouri General Assembly, "Missouri Campaign Finance Law" (dead link)(Referenced Statute 105-961 (2) Missouri Statutes)
  7. Missouri General Assembly, "Missouri Campaign Finance Law," (dead link)(Referenced Statute 105-961 (1) Missouri Statutes)
  8. Missouri General Assembly, "Missouri Campaign Finance Law" (dead link)(Referenced Statute 105-961 (2) Missouri Statutes)
  9. 'Missouri General Assembly, "Missouri Campaign Finance Law" (dead link)(Referenced Statute 105-961 (3) Missouri Statutes)]
  10. Missouri Office of Administration, "FY 2025 Budget," accessed January 21, 2025
  11. Missouri Boards and Commissions, “Missouri Citizens’ Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials,” accessed January 11, 2021
  12. Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 21, 2025
  13. Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
  14. Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
  15. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 11, 2021
  16. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 11, 2021
  17. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 11, 2021
  18. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 11, 2021
  19. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
  20. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
  21. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 3, 2014
  22. Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 30, 2014
  23. The Council of State Governments, "The Book of States 2010 Table 4.11," accessed June 21, 2011
  24. Missouri Secretary of State, "Missouri History – Attorneys General," accessed December 17, 2011