Attorney General of New York

Image Attorney general Tenure Party Notes Egbert Benson May 8, 1777 – May 14, 1788 Richard Varick May 14, 1788 – September 29, 1789 Federalist Aaron Burr September 29, 1789 – November 8, 1791 Dem.-Rep. Third vice president of the United States Morgan Lewis November 8, 1791 – December 24, 1792 Dem.-Rep. Nathaniel Lawrence December 24, 1792 – November 13, 1795 Dem.-Rep. Josiah Ogden Hoffman November 13, 1795 – February 3, 1802 Federalist Ambrose Spencer February 3, 1802 – February 3, 1804 Dem.-Rep. John Woodworth February 3, 1804 – March 18, 1808 Dem.-Rep. Matthias B. Hildreth March 18, 1808 – February 2, 1810 Dem.-Rep. Abraham Van Vechten February 2, 1810 – February 1, 1811 Federalist Matthias B. Hildreth February 1, 1811 – July 11, 1812 Dem.-Rep. Died in office Thomas Addis Emmet August 12, 1812 – February 13, 1813 Dem.-Rep. Abraham Van Vechten February 13, 1813 – February 17, 1815 Federalist Martin Van Buren February 17, 1815 – July 8, 1819 Dem.-Rep. Eighth president of the United States Thomas Jackson Oakley July 8, 1819 – February 12, 1821 Federalist Samuel A. Talcott February 12, 1821 – January 27, 1829 Dem.-Rep. First appointed, in 1823 elected by State Legislature, resigned shortly before the end of his second term Greene C. Bronson January 27, 1829 – January 12, 1836 Democrat Elected a justice of the State Supreme Court during his third term Samuel Beardsley January 12, 1836 – February 4, 1839 Democrat Willis Hall February 4, 1839 – February 7, 1842 Whig George P. Barker February 7, 1842 – February 3, 1845 Democrat John Van Buren February 3, 1845 – January 1, 1848 Democrat Legislated out of office by the Constitution of 1846 Ambrose L. Jordan January 1, 1848 – December 31, 1849 Whig First attorney general elected by general ballot Levi S. Chatfield January 1, 1850 – November 23, 1853 Democrat Resigned shortly before the end of his second term Gardner Stow December 8, 1853 – December 31, 1853 Democrat Appointed to fill the unexpired term Ogden Hoffman January 1, 1854 – December 31, 1855 Whig Stephen B. Cushing January 1, 1856 – December 31, 1857 American Lyman Tremain January 1, 1858 – December 31, 1859 Democrat Charles G. Myers January 1, 1860 – December 31, 1861 Republican Daniel S. Dickinson January 1, 1862 – December 31, 1863 Union John Cochrane January 1, 1864 – December 31, 1865 Union John H. Martindale January 1, 1866 – December 31, 1867 Republican Marshall B. Champlain January 1, 1868 – December 31, 1871 Democrat Two terms Francis C. Barlow January 1, 1872 – December 31, 1873 Republican Daniel Pratt January 1, 1874 – December 31, 1875 Democrat Charles S. Fairchild January 1, 1876 – December 31, 1877 Democrat Augustus Schoonmaker Jr. January 1, 1878 – December 31, 1879 Democrat Hamilton Ward Sr. January 1, 1880 – December 31, 1881 Republican Leslie W. Russell January 1, 1882 – December 31, 1883 Republican Denis O’Brien January 1, 1884 – December 31, 1887 Democrat Two terms Charles F. Tabor January 1, 1888 – December 31, 1891 Democrat Two terms Simon W. Rosendale January 1, 1892 – December 31, 1893 Democrat Theodore E. Hancock January 1, 1894 – December 31, 1898 Republican Two terms (1894–1895; 1896–1898) John C. Davies January 1, 1899 – December 31, 1902 Republican Two terms John Cunneen January 1, 1903 – December 31, 1904 Democrat Julius M. Mayer January 1, 1905 – December 31, 1906 Republican William S. Jackson January 1, 1907 – December 31, 1908 Democrat Edward R. O’Malley January 1, 1909 – December 31, 1910 Republican Thomas Carmody January 1, 1911 – September 2, 1914 Democrat Resigned shortly before the end of his second term James A. Parsons September 2, 1914 – December 31, 1914 Democrat Appointed to fill the unexpired term Egburt E. Woodbury January 1, 1915 – April 19, 1917 Republican Resigned during his second term Merton E. Lewis April 19, 1917 – December 31, 1918 Republican As first deputy AG acted until being elected by the State Legislature on April 25 to fill unexpired first half of term, then re-elected in special election (Nov. 1917) for the other half (1918) Charles D. Newton January 1, 1919 – December 31, 1922 Republican Two terms Carl Sherman January 1, 1923 – December 31, 1924 Democrat Defeated for reelection in 1924 Albert Ottinger January 1, 1925 – December 31, 1928 Republican Two terms; unsuccessful Republican nominee for governor in 1928 Hamilton Ward Jr. January 1, 1929 – December 31, 1930 Republican Son of Hamilton Ward Sr. (AG from 1880 to 1881) John J. Bennett Jr. January 1, 1931 – December 31, 1942 Democrat Five terms Nathaniel L. Goldstein January 1, 1943 – December 31, 1954 Republican Three terms Jacob K. Javits January 1, 1955 – January 9, 1957 Republican Resigned having been elected U.S. senator Louis J. Lefkowitz January 9, 1957 – December 31, 1978 Republican Re-elected by the State Legislature to fill the unexpired term, then re-elected to five more terms, longest-serving attorney general (8 days short of 22 years) Robert Abrams January 1, 1979 – December 31, 1993 Democrat Elected to four terms, resigning a year before the end of his fourth term G. Oliver Koppell January 1, 1994 – December 31, 1994 Democrat Elected by the State Legislature to fill unexpired term Dennis Vacco January 1, 1995 – December 31, 1998 Republican Defeated for reelection in 1998. Joined Waste Management, Inc. as vice president for New York government affairs. Became a partner in Buffalo law firm, Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman. Eliot Spitzer January 1, 1999 – December 31, 2006 Democrat Two terms, then elected governor Andrew Cuomo January 1, 2007 – December 31, 2010 Democrat One term, then elected governor Eric Schneiderman January 1, 2011 – May 8, 2018 Democrat Resigned during his second term Barbara D. Underwood May 8, 2018 – December 31, 2018 Democrat Served as acting attorney general from May 8 to May 22, when she was confirmed by the New York State Legislature. Letitia “Tish” James January 1, 2019 – present Democrat