2016 United States attorney general elections

2016 United States attorney general elections

← 2015 November 8, 2016 2018 →
2017 (VA) →
10 attorney general offices 10 states[a]
Majority party Minority party   Party Republican Democratic Seats before 23 20 Seats after 24 19 Seat change 1 1 Popular vote 10,444,739[1] 11,149,338 Percentage 45.82% 48.92% Seats up 4 6 Seats won 5 5
Democratic hold      Republican hold      Republican gain      No election

The 2016 United States attorney general elections were held on November 8, 2016, in 10 states.^[2] The previous attorney general elections for eight of the 10 states took place in 2012. The last attorney general elections for Utah and Vermont took place in 2014, as Utah held a special election due to the resignation of John Swallow, while the attorney general of Vermont serves two-year terms.^[3] The elections took place concurrently with the 2016 presidential election, elections to the House of Representatives and Senate, and numerous state and local elections.

Six state attorneys general ran for reelection and four did not. Missouri was only state that changed partisan control, where Republican Josh Hawley won the open seat, replacing outgoing Democrat Chris Koster.^[4] The four other open seats were won by the party which previously held the office, and all five incumbents who ran won re-election. Republicans expanded their majority control of popularly elected state attorneys general.

States where the margin of victory was under 1%:

1. North Carolina, 0.4% (20,232 votes)

States where the margin of victory was under 5%:

1. Pennsylvania, 2.8% (165,685 votes)

States where the margin of victory was under 10%:

1. West Virginia, 9.7% (67,192 votes)

Italics indicate office was not up for election in 2016.

2016 Indiana Attorney General election

← 2012 November 8, 2016 2020 →

Nominee Curtis Hill Lorenzo Arredondo Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,643,689 994,085 Percentage 62.3% 37.7%

County results Hill:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Arredondo:      50–60%      60–70%

Attorney General before election Greg Zoeller Republican Elected Attorney General Curtis Hill Republican

Incumbent Republican Attorney General Greg Zoeller declined to run for a third term in order to run for the U.S. House of Representatives.^[7] Republicans chose Elkhart County Prosecutor Curtis Hill over former Attorney General Steve Carter, state senator Randall Head, and Deputy Attorney General Abby Kuzma at the Republican state convention on June 11.^[8] Democrats nominated Lorenzo Arredondo, former Lake County Circuit Judge.^[9] Hill won the election.

2016 Missouri Attorney General election

← 2012 November 8, 2016 2020 →

Nominee Josh Hawley Teresa Hensley Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,607,550 1,140,252 Percentage 58.5% 41.5%

County results Hawley:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Hensley:      50–60%      70–80%

Attorney General before election Chris Koster Democratic Elected Attorney General Josh Hawley Republican

Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster chose not to run for re-election to a third term, but instead ran for Governor of Missouri.^[11][12][13]

Former Cass County prosecuting attorney Tereasa Hensley was nominated in the Democratic primary over St. Louis County assessor Jake Zimmerman.^[14][15] State senator Scott Sifton also announced his candidacy, but withdrew before the primary in order to run for re-election.^[16] The Republican nominee was MU law professor Josh Hawley, who was nominated over state senator Kurt Schaefer.^[17][18]

Although early polling showed a tighter race, Hawley won the election by a wide margin, becoming the first Republican attorney general since William L. Webster left office in 1993.

2016 Montana Attorney General election

← 2012 November 8, 2016 2020 →

Nominee Tim Fox Larry Jent Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 332,766 158,970 Percentage 67.7% 32.3%

County results Fox:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Jent:      50–60%      60–70%

Attorney General before election Tim Fox Republican Elected Attorney General Tim Fox Republican

Incumbent Republican Tim Fox ran for re-election to a second term and was unopposed in the Republican primary. The Democratic nominee was state senator Larry Jent, who also ran for the nomination unopposed. Fox easily won re-election.^[21]

2016 North Carolina Attorney General election

← 2012 November 8, 2016 2020 →

Nominee Josh Stein Buck Newton Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,303,619 2,279,006 Percentage 50.3% 49.7%

County results Stein:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Newton:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

Attorney General before election Roy Cooper Democratic Elected Attorney General Josh Stein Democratic

Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper chose not to run for re-election to a fifth term in office, but instead successfully ran for Governor.^[22]

Primary elections were held on March 15. Democratic former state senator Josh Stein defeated Republican state senator Buck Newton in the general election.^[23][24]

2016 Oregon Attorney General election

← 2012 November 8, 2016 2020 →

Nominee Ellen Rosenblum Daniel Crowe Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,035,361 776,664 Percentage 55.2% 41.4%

County results Rosenblum:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Crowe:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

Attorney General before election Ellen Rosenblum Democratic Elected Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum Democratic

Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum ran for re-election to a second full term. She won the election over Republican nominee Daniel Zene Crowe.^[27]

2016 Pennsylvania Attorney General election

← 2012 November 8, 2016 2020 →

Nominee Josh Shapiro John Rafferty Jr. Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 3,057,010 2,891,325 Percentage 51.4% 48.6%

County results Shapiro:      50–60%      60–70%      80–90% Rafferty:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

Attorney General before election Bruce Beemer Democratic Elected Attorney General Josh Shapiro Democratic

Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Kathleen Kane originally indicated her intention to seek re-election, but dropped out after she was criminally charged with violating grand jury secrecy laws stemming from alleged leaks of grand jury investigation details to embarrass a political enemy.^[29][30] Inspector General Bruce Beemer was appointed to fill out the remainder of her term, although he did not seek election to a full term.

Democratic candidates included Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli,^[31] Montgomery County Board of Supervisors chair Josh Shapiro,^[32] and Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala.^[33] The Republican primary was between two candidates: state senator John Rafferty Jr. and former prosecutor Joe Peters.^[34][35] Shapiro and Rafferty won their respective primaries.^[36]

Governing rated this election as a tossup.^[37] Shapiro narrowly defeated Rafferty in the general election.

2016 Utah Attorney General election

← 2014 (special) November 8, 2016 2020 →

Nominee Sean Reyes Jon Harper Andrew McCullough Party Republican Democratic Libertarian Popular vote 719,064 275,571 73,975 Percentage 65.4% 25.1% 6.7%

County results Reyes:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Harper:      40–50%

Attorney General before election Sean Reyes Republican Elected Attorney General Sean Reyes Republican

Incumbent Republican Attorney General Sean Reyes ran for re-election to a full term after serving the remainder of John Swallow's term. He easily won the general election, defeating Democratic nominee Jon Harper and Libertarian nominee Andrew McCullogh.^[39]

2016 Vermont Attorney General election

← 2014 November 8, 2016 2018 →

Nominee T. J. Donovan Deborah Bucknam Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 200,020 88,431 Percentage 66.6% 29.4%

County results Donovan:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Buckman:      40–50%

Attorney General before election William Sorrell Democratic Elected Attorney General T. J. Donovan Democratic

Incumbent Democratic Attorney General William Sorrell, the state's longest-serving Attorney General (since 1997), did not run for re-election.^[41] Democratic nominee T.J. Donovan won the general election.^[42]

2016 Washington Attorney General election

← 2012 November 8, 2016 2020 →

Nominee Bob Ferguson Joshua B. Trumbull Party Democratic Libertarian Popular vote 2,000,804 979,105 Percentage 66.9% 32.8%

County results Ferguson:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Trumbull:      50–60%

Attorney General before election Bob Ferguson Democratic Elected Attorney General Bob Ferguson Democratic

Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson sought re-election, opposed by Joshua B. Trumbull, who ran as a Libertarian.^[43] In the general election, Ferguson won re-election to a second term, defeating Trumbull.^[44]

2016 West Virginia Attorney General election

← 2012 November 8, 2016 2020 →

Nominee Patrick Morrisey Doug Reynolds Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 358,424 291,232 Percentage 51.6% 42.0%

County results Morrisey:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Reynolds:      40–50%      50–60%

Attorney General before election Patrick Morrisey Republican Elected Attorney General Patrick Morrisey Republican

Incumbent Republican Attorney General Patrick Morrisey ran for re-election to a second term. He faced Democratic state delegate Doug Reynolds in the general election, with both being unopposed in their respective primaries. Morrisey won the general election.^[47]