State of New Jersey Office of the Attorney General
Agency overview
JurisdictionNew Jersey
HeadquartersRichard J. Hughes Justice Complex, 25 Market Street, Trenton, New Jersey
Agency executive
Parent agencyState of New Jersey
WebsiteOfficial website

The attorney general of New Jersey is a member of the executive cabinet of the state and oversees the Department of Law and Public Safety. The office is appointed by the governor of New Jersey, confirmed by the New Jersey Senate, and term limited. Under the provisions of the New Jersey State Constitution, the Attorney General serves a concurrent term to the governor (starting on the third Tuesday of January following the election and ending on the third Tuesday following the next election). Matt Platkin became the acting officeholder on February 14, 2022, following his nomination by Governor Phil Murphy.

The conventional wisdom is that the attorney general cannot be removed from office except "for cause" by the governor or by way of legislative impeachment.[1]

It is fourth in the line of succession after the lieutenant governor of New Jersey, president of the New Jersey Senate, and speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly. The attorney general cannot also serve as the lieutenant governor.

List of office holders

Holders of the office of attorney general include:[2]

Colonial period

Term of officeAttorney GeneralNotes and references
1704
–1714		Alexander GriffithAlexander Griffith was the first Colonial New Jersey Attorney General.
1714
–1719		Thomas Burnett Gordon(17 April 1652—April 28, 1722) was a Scottish emigrant to the Thirteen Colonies who became Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court and New Jersey Attorney General for the Province of New Jersey.[3]
1719
–1723		Jeremiah Basse(died 1725) was a governor of both West Jersey and East Jersey. He became governor of West Jersey in 1697, and became governor of East Jersey in 1697.
1723
–1728		James Alexander(May 27, 1691
– April 2, 1756) was a lawyer and statesman in colonial New York. He served in the Colonial Assembly and as attorney general of the colony in 1721
–23. His son William was later a major general in the Continental Army during the American revolution. Alexandria Township, New Jersey was named after James Alexander.
1728
–1733		Lawrence Smyth
1733
–1754		Joseph Warrell
1754
–1776		Cortlandt Skinner(December 16, 1727
– March 15, 1799) was the last colonial attorney general of New Jersey and a brigadier general in the British Loyalist force, the New Jersey Volunteers during the American Revolutionary War.[4][5]

Post-independence

# Picture Attorney General Term in office Party affiliation Appointed by
1 William Paterson[6](1745–1806) 1776
–
1783		 [data missing] Elected by the legislature
2 Joseph Bloomfield

(1753–1823)

 1783
–
1792		 Anti-Administration Elected by the legislature
3 Aaron Woodruff[7] 1792
–
1811		 Federalist Elected by the legislature
4 Andrew S. Hunter 1811 Democratic-Republican Elected by the legislature
5 Aaron Woodruff[7] 1812
–
June 26, 1817		 Federalist Elected by the legislature
6 Theodore Frelinghuysen February 6, 1817
–
March 4, 1829		 Federalist Elected by the legislature
7 Samuel L. Southard[8] 1829
–
1833		 National Republican Elected by the legislature
8 John Moore White 1833
–
1838		 [data missing] Elected by the legislature
9 Richard Stockton Field[9] 1838
–
1841		 [data missing] Elected by the legislature
10 George P. Mollesson 1841
–
1844		 [data missing] Elected by the legislature
11 Richard P. Thompson 1844
–
1845		 [data missing] Daniel Haines
12 Abraham Browning 1845
–
1850		 Democratic
13 Lucius Elmer[10] 1850
–
1852		 Democratic
14 Richard P. Thompson 1852
–
1857		 [data missing] George Franklin Fort
15 William L. Dayton[11] 1857
–
1861		 Republican William A. Newell
16 Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen[12] 1861
–
1867		 Republican Charles Smith Olden
17 George M. Robeson[13] 1867
–
1870		 Republican Marcus Lawrence Ward
18 Robert Gilchrist Jr. 1870
–
1875		 Democratic Theodore Fitz Randolph
19 Joel Parker[14] 1875 Democratic Joseph D. Bedle
20 Jacob Vanatta 1875
–
1877		 [data missing]
21 John P. Stockton[15] April 8, 1877
–
April 5, 1897		 Democratic
22 Samuel H. Grey[16] 1897
–
1902		 [data missing] John W. Griggs
23 Thomas N. McCarter 1902
–
1903		 Republican Franklin Murphy
24 Robert H. McCarter 1903
–
1908		 Republican
25 Edmund Wilson Sr. 1908
–
1914		 Republican John Franklin Fort
26 John Wesley Wescott 1914
–
1919		 Democratic James F. Fielder
27 Thomas F. McCran 1919
–
1924		 Republican Walter Evans Edge
28 Edward L. Katzenbach 1924
–
1929		 [data missing] George S. Silzer
29 William A. Stevens 1929
–
1934		 [data missing] Morgan F. Larson
30 David T. Wilentz 1934
–
1944		 Democratic A. Harry Moore
31 Walter D. Van Riper 1944
–
1948		 [data missing] Walter Evans Edge
32 Theodore D. Parsons February 4, 1948
–
1954		 [data missing] Alfred E. Driscoll
33 Grover C. Richman Jr. 1954
–
1958		 [data missing] Robert B. Meyner
34 David D. Furman 1958
–
1962		 [data missing]
35 Arthur J. Sills January 6, 1962
–
1970		 [data missing] Richard J. Hughes
36 George Francis Kugler Jr. 1970
–
1974		 [data missing] William T. Cahill
37 William F. Hyland 1974
–
1978		 Democratic Brendan Byrne
38 John J. Degnan January 17, 1978
–
March 5, 1981		 Democratic
39 James R. Zazzali 1981
–
1982		 Democratic
40 Irwin I. Kimmelman January 19, 1982
–
January 21, 1986		 Republican Thomas Kean
41 W. Cary Edwards January 21, 1986
–
January 19, 1989		 Republican
42 Peter N. Perretti Jr. February 14, 1989
–
January 16, 1990		 [data missing]
43 Robert Del Tufo January 16, 1990
–
August 24, 1994		 Democratic Jim Florio
44 Deborah Portiz January 18, 1994
–
July 10, 1996		 Republican Christine Todd Whitman
45 Peter Verniero July 10, 1996
–
May 15, 1999		 Republican
46 John Farmer Jr. June 3, 1999
–
January 15, 2002		 Republican
47 David Samson January 15, 2002
–
February 15, 2003		 [data missing] Jim McGreevey
48 Peter C. Harvey February 15, 2003
–
January 30, 2006		 Democratic
49 Zulima Farber January 30, 2006
–
August 31, 2006		 Democratic Jon Corzine
Acting Anne Milgram[17] August 31, 2006
–
September 26, 2006		 [data missing]
50 Stuart Rabner September 26, 2006
–
June 29, 2007		 Democratic
51 Anne Milgram[17] June 29, 2007
–
January 18, 2010		 [data missing]
52 Paula Dow[18][19] January 18, 2010
–
January 10, 2012		 Democratic Chris Christie
53 Jeffrey S. Chiesa January 10, 2012
–
June 6, 2013		 Republican
Acting John Jay Hoffman June 10, 2013
–
March 14, 2016		 Republican
Acting Robert Lougy March 14, 2016
–
June 21, 2016		 [data missing]
54 Christopher Porrino June 21, 2016
–
January 16, 2018		 Independent
55 Gurbir Grewal January 16, 2018
–
July 19, 2021		 Democratic Phil Murphy
Acting Andrew Bruck July 19, 2021
–
February 14, 2022		 Democratic
Acting Matt Platkin February 14, 2022
–
September 29, 2022		 Democratic
56 Matt Platkin September 29, 2022
–
present		 Democratic

References

  1. ↑ Letter from OLS Deputy Counsel Danielle A. Brucchieri to Senate Republican Office, Office of Legislative Services, May 9, 2005. Accessed December 2, 2008.
  2. ↑ Past Attorneys General, New Jersey Attorney General. Accessed December 15, 2007.
  3. ↑ "Thomas Gordon Attorney General 1714-1719". Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  4. ↑ "Biographical Sketch of Brigadier General Cortland Skinner". www.royalprovincial.com. The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  5. ↑ Lamb, Martha Joanna (1877). Embracing the period prior to the Revolution, closing in 1774. A.S. Barnes and Company. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  6. ↑ William Paterson, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed December 1, 2006.
  7. 1 2 Political Graveyard: Aaron Dickinson Woodruff, accessed August 27, 2006.
  8. ↑ Samuel Lewis Southard, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed December 1, 2006.
  9. ↑ Richard Stockton Field, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 25, 2007.
  10. ↑ Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus Elmer, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 20, 2007.
  11. ↑ William L. Dayton, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed November 11, 2006.
  12. ↑ Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed December 1, 2006.
  13. ↑ George Maxwell Robeson, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed December 1, 2006.
  14. ↑ New Jersey State Library biography for Joel Parker, New Jersey State Library. Accessed July 11, 2007.
  15. ↑ John Potter Stockton, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed December 1, 2006.
  16. ↑ New Jersey: State Attorneys General, The Political Graveyard. Accessed April 24, 2007.
  17. 1 2 "Hello to a new day", The Star-Ledger, June 22, 2007. Accessed July 11, 2007.
  18. ↑ "Senate confirms 5 NJ Cabinet picks". Asbury Park Press. 2010-02-22. Archived from the original on 2013-01-02. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
  19. ↑ "Paula Dow is sworn in as N.J. Attorney General". The Star-Ledger. 2010-02-23. Retrieved 2010-02-23.
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