Of the 43 elected state attorneys general (AGs), 10 states held elections in 2024. Below are the results of the elections for each of the 10 races. These elections have resulted in new attorneys general in North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington, and West Virginia.

Additionally, this election saw attorneys general from North Carolina, Washington, and West Virginia win the governor’s race for their respective states. Former New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte also won the state’s race for governor.

Indiana

Incumbent AG and Republican candidate Todd Rokita was re-elected as Indiana’s AG, defeating Democratic candidate Destiny Wells by a 19% margin. Rokita was first elected as the 44th AG of Indiana in 2019, challenging the Republican incumbent at the time.

An experienced attorney and public servant, Rokita served as Indiana’s twice-elected secretary of state from 2002 to 2010, after serving as chief operating officer and general counsel in the Office of the Secretary of State. For his work, he was selected as the national president of the Association of Secretaries of State.

In 2010, Rokita was elected as the U.S. House of Representatives for Indiana’s 4th congressional district, where he continued to win reelections and held the position until 2019. During his time in Congress, Rokita served as vice chairman of the nation’s budget committee, and also as chairman for the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee.

Rokita was raised in Munster, IN, and graduated from Munster High School. He earned his undergraduate degree from Wabash College, receiving their highest scholarship. He earned his law degree from the Robert H. McKinney School of Law at Indiana University.

Missouri

Incumbent AG and Republican candidate Andrew Bailey was re-elected as Missouri’s AG, defeating Democrat Elad Gross and Libertarian Ryan Munro by over a 20% margin. Bailey was initially appointed by the governor in November 2022 and was sworn in as the 44th AG of Missouri in January 2023.

Bailey began his legal career as an assistant AG at the Missouri AG’s office and later served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Warren County, and as general counsel for both the Missouri Department of Corrections and the Missouri Governor’s office. He attended the University of Missouri on an Army scholarship and was commissioned as an officer in the Army following the September 11 attacks. He volunteered for combat duty, serving two tours in Iraq as an armored cavalry officer and earning numerous commendations, including two Bronze Star Medals. After his military service, he returned to the University of Missouri to attend law school and began his legal career as a prosecutor.

Montana

Incumbent AG and Republican candidate Austin Knudsen was re-elected as Montana’s AG, defeating Democrat opponent Ben Alke. As AG, Knudsen has focused on combating the drug pandemic and supporting law enforcement to ensure Montana is a safe place to live and raise a family.

Before his tenure as AG, Knudsen served as the Roosevelt County attorney, a position he was elected to in 2018. This decision came after a drive-by shooting children’s school, prompting Knudsen and his wife Christie to take action. As a county prosecutor, he worked closely with law enforcement to increase prosecutions and incarcerate violent offenders.

Knudsen’s political career began in 2010 when he defeated a two-term incumbent to serve as the representative for House District 34, and eventually served as speaker of the House in 2015 and 2017. In this role, Knudsen became one of the youngest speakers in Montana history and the only two-term speaker since term limits were imposed.

North Carolina

Democrat Jeff Jackson was elected as North Carolina’s AG, defeating Republican Dan Bishop. Jackson currently serves in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing North Carolina’s 14th District.

Jackson’s campaign highlighted his commitment to nonpartisan politics, as he scores in the top 5% for most bipartisan members of Congress. Jackson has spent his career in various public service roles. Prior to serving in Congress, Jackson served as assistant district attorney in Gaston County. Jackson credits this time with inspiring him to run for North Carolina state senator. As a state senator, he spent eight years representing Mecklenburg County and worked to reform North Carolina’s criminal justice system.

Jackson also has a history of military service, having enlisted after the September 11 attacks. After a year-long deployment in Afghanistan, Jackson attended law school at UNC-Chapel Hill with the help of the G.I. Bill. Jackson continues to serve today as a major in the Army National Guard.

Oregon

Democrat Dan Rayfield was elected as Oregon’s AG, defeating Republican Will Lathrop. Rayfield, a former state House speaker, replaces current AG Ellen Rosenblum, who did not seek reelection.

This was the first time in 16 years that there was a race for Oregon’s next AG with no incumbent. Each political party spent big money — $1.8 million for Rayfield and $1.3 million for Lathrop — in hopes their candidate would become Oregon’s next AG. Throughout his campaign, Rayfield leaned on his prior experience as a House representative and private practice attorney to persuade Oregonians that he was right for the job. He focused on major topics like public safety, abortion, consumer protection, and election integrity. Rayfield was also a trial attorney focusing on consumer protection issues.

When entering office, Rayfield will have big shoes to fill as Rosenblum established a legacy during her time in office and most recently served as the president of the National Association of AGs.

Pennsylvania

Republican Dave Sunday was elected as Pennsylvania’s AG, defeating Democrat Eugene DePasquale. There was no incumbent in the AG race this year, as AG Michelle Henry — who had been appointed to the position in 2023 by former AG Josh Shapiro when he stepped down to become the state’s governor — decided not to run for a full term.

The ballot for the AG position was crowded, with Sunday and DePasquale, the two major party candidates, joined by four third-party candidates. Leading up to the election, the race between Sunday and DePasquale remained close, but Sunday ultimately won the election with 51% of the vote.

This will not be the first time that Sunday has held a prosecutorial position in Pennsylvania. He has served as York County’s district attorney since 2018 and as a prosecutor in the district attorney’s office for more than 10 years. Throughout his career, Sunday has led major criminal cases and served as the legal advisor to the York County Drug Task Force. In 2013, Sunday was appointed by the Department of Justice as a special assistant U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, where he worked on drug, gang, and illegal weapons cases. Sunday has also prioritized addressing the opioid epidemic during his career, including by co-founding the York County Heroin Task Force (now the York County Opioid Collaborative). Sunday has held other positions in the Pennsylvania community, such as president of the York County Bar Association, board member for the York County Children’s Advocacy Center, and chair for the Education and Training Committee of the Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Association.

Sunday’s campaign emphasized that he will focus on public safety and the opioid epidemic, in addition to protecting the state’s seniors. Sunday earned his undergraduate degree in finance from Penn State University in 2002 and his J.D. from Widener University Commonwealth Law School in 2007. Before starting his undergraduate studies, Sunday joined the Navy as an enlisted recruit and, during his service, was deployed to the Persian Gulf and South America.

Utah

Utah elected Republican candidate Derek Brown to fill the open seat left by AG Sean Reyes, after he decided not to seek another term.

After completing his legal education, Brown clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He subsequently practiced constitutional and appellate law at a multinational firm and served as legal counsel for Senator Orrin Hatch. In 2010, Brown ran successfully for a state House seat (District 49), and later resigned his seat to work for Utah Senator Mike Lee. In 2019, he also assumed the role of chair of the Utah Republican Party until 2021. In this role, he was responsible for overseeing party operations and strategy, particularly during the 2020 election cycle.

Brown earned a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and a law degree from Pepperdine School of Law. Brown ran his campaign on a platform highlighting the importance of First Amendment rights, holding Big Tech accountable, and fighting for Utah lands and energy.

Vermont

Incumbent AG and Democrat Charity R. Clark was re-elected as Vermont’s AG, defeating her opponent Ture Nelson — a Republican with a law enforcement background — with 57% of the vote. Clark was first elected Vermont AG after serving for around a decade in different roles in the Vermont AG’s office, including as chief deputy AG.

Clark is the first woman to be elected AG in Vermont. During her first term, she sued the Food and Drug Administration over access to abortions, Monsanto over toxic chemicals appearing in schools, and various social media companies for violating Vermont’s Consumer Protection Act. Clark also served as the NAAG Tobacco co-chair, a role in which she is expected to continue serving in her second term.

Washington

Democrat Nick Brown was elected as Washington’s AG, defeating his opponent. Brown brings extensive experience in both public service and private practice to this role.

Most recently, Brown served as the U.S. attorney for Western Washington following his nomination by President Biden in 2021. In this role, he focused on fighting drug cartels and sex trafficking, addressing the fentanyl crisis, and reducing violent crime. As chair of the Civil Rights Subcommittee for the AG’s Advisory Committee, Brown emphasized preventing and prosecuting hate crimes while protecting vulnerable communities.

Prior to his appointment as U.S. attorney, Brown served as a JAG officer in the Army, earning a Bronze Star Medal in 2005. After returning to his home state of Washington, he worked as a prosecutor and later served as general counsel to Governor Jay Inslee, where he oversaw efforts to end the death penalty in the state. Brown also gained private sector experience as a partner at a law firm, handling complex civil litigation and constitutional matters.

A graduate of Morehouse College and Harvard Law School, Brown campaigned on a platform of ensuring safety for all Washingtonians, with priorities including addressing gun violence, protecting democracy, combating climate change, and defending abortion access in Washington.

West Virginia

Republican J.B. McCuskey was elected as West Virginia’s AG, defeating Democratic nominee Teresa Toriseva by a margin of 40%.

A lifelong West Virginian, McCuskey’s career as a civil servant began while he worked as a civilian at the Pentagon in the general counsel offices of the Army and the Department of Defense. In 2012, McCuskey was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates, where he prioritized issues such as job creation, energy independence, and financial responsibility in governance. He won his first statewide election in 2017 to serve as state auditor of West Virginia.

McCuskey attended George Washington University and earned his law degree from West Virginia University College of Law. McCuskey and his wife, Wendy, own and run a small business in Charleston, where they reside.

Stephanie Kozol, Senior Government Relations Manager – State Attorneys General, also contributed to this newsletter.

Nick Gouverneur also contributed to this newsletter. He is not licensed to practice law in any jurisdiction; bar admission pending.