Attorney General of Nebraska

Nebraska Attorney General
General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
Compensation:	$95,000
2025 FY Budget:	$17,688,114
Term limits:	None
Structure
Length of term:	Four years
Authority:	Nebraska Constitution, Article IV, Section I
Selection Method:	Elected
Current Officeholder
Attorney General of Nebraska Mike Hilgers Republican Party Assumed office: January 5, 2023
Elections
Next election:	2026
Last election:	2022
Other Nebraska Executive Offices
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Commissioner of Education • Agriculture Director • Insurance Director • Natural Resources Director • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission • Board of Regents

The Attorney General of Nebraska is the chief representative for legal matters of for the state of Nebraska. The attorney general is separated into the civil litigation bureau, criminal bureau, legal services bureau and the public protection bureau. The duties and authority of the office are derived from the state constitution, statutory enactments and common law.

Nebraska 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 Nebraska is Mike Hilgers (R). Hilgers assumed office in 2023.

Authority

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

Under Article IV, Section I:

The executive officers of the state shall be the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor of Public Accounts, State Treasurer, Attorney General, and the heads of such other executive departments as set forth herein or as may be established by law.

Qualifications

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches the constitutional or statutory text that establishes the requirements necessary to qualify for a state executive office. That information for the Attorney General of Nebraska has not yet been added. After extensive research, we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

Elections

Nebraska state government organizational chart

The Office of Attorney General is a publicly elected position with elections held every four years. Elections are held in November and officers assume their duties the following January. (Nebraska Constitution, Article IV § 1)

2022

See also: Nebraska Attorney General election, 2022

General election

General election for Attorney General of Nebraska

Mike Hilgers defeated Larry Bolinger in the general election for Attorney General of Nebraska on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Hilgers (R)	69.7	434,671
		Larry Bolinger (Legal Marijuana Now Party)	30.3	188,649

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 623,320
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Nebraska

Mike Hilgers defeated Jennifer Hicks in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Nebraska on May 10, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Hilgers	67.2	151,709
		Jennifer Hicks	32.8	73,906

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 225,615
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Legal Marijuana Now Party primary election

Legal Marijuana Now Party primary for Attorney General of Nebraska

Larry Bolinger advanced from the Legal Marijuana Now Party primary for Attorney General of Nebraska on May 10, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Larry Bolinger	100.0	912

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 912
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2018

See also: Nebraska Attorney General election, 2018

General election

General election for Attorney General of Nebraska

Incumbent Doug Peterson won election in the general election for Attorney General of Nebraska on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Doug Peterson (R)	100.0	516,777

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 516,777 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Evangelos Argyrakis (D)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Attorney General of Nebraska

Evangelos Argyrakis advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Nebraska on May 15, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Evangelos Argyrakis	100.0	67,022

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 67,022
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Nebraska

Incumbent Doug Peterson advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of Nebraska on May 15, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Doug Peterson	100.0	140,675

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 140,675
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2014

See also: Nebraska Attorney General election, 2014

Attorney General of Nebraska, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Doug Peterson	66.1%	339,846
	Democratic	Janet Stewart	33.9%	174,614
Total Votes				514,460
Election results via Nebraska Secretary of State

Full History

To view the electoral history dating back to 2002 for the office of Attorney General of Nebraska, click [show] to expand the section.

2010 See also: Nebraska Attorney General election, 2010 Jon Bruning won without opposition in the general election. 2006 Jon Bruning won without opposition in the general election. 2002 On 2002, Jon Bruning won re-election to the office of Nebraska Attorney General. He defeated Mike Meister in the general election. Nebraska Attorney General, 2002 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Jon Bruning Incumbent 66% 292,709      Democratic Mike Meister 34% 150,773 Total Votes 443,482 Election results via Secretary of State - Official Results 2002 General Election.

Term limits

There are no term limits for the office of Nebraska Attorney General.

Vacancies

As established by Article IV, Section 11 of the Nebraska Constitution, in the event of a vacancy in the office of attorney general, the governor fills the office by appointment. The appointee serves until a successor is elected and qualified.

Duties

General duties

Some of the general duties of the office of the attorney general include:

• Uphold and defend the Constitution and laws of the State of Nebraska;
• Achieve a higher level of public safety and security by promoting vigorous prosecution of murderers, drug dealers, child abusers and other criminals;
• Promote stronger law enforcement and reform in criminal procedure and criminal law;
• Provide skilled assistance to local prosecutors in highly technical or complex cases involving murder, illegal drugs and the prosecution of child sexual abuse;
• Prevent and prosecute consumer fraud and deceptive trade practices, and protect Nebraskans from fraudulent business activities and scams through educational outreach;
• Uphold and protect the civil rights of all Nebraskans;
• Defend Nebraska's interests in disputes with other states over irrigation water and stream flows;
• Protect the public health and safety of Nebraskans by vigorously pursuing disciplinary actions against health care professionals who endanger the public by violations of health regulations or drug laws;
• Provide professional legal representation in all civil proceedings on behalf of the state;
• Reduce the time and resources devoted by the state to defending claims by inmates of correctional facilities.

Role in the initiative process

Unlike many states, Nebraska's initiative guidelines dictate that a ballot title is not issued until signatures are being verified. Thus the attorney general does not receive a copy of the ballot until the signatures are turned into the state four months prior to the election.

It is at this point that the attorney general will assign a ballot title to the initiative, which will be certified by the Nebraska Secretary of State.

The attorney general will then write a ballot question that summarizes the initiative in 100 words or less. The office is also in charge of writing the effect of a vote for or against the measure, both items which will appear on the ballot.

Ballot language court appeals

If any citizen believes the ballot language is not sufficient or fair, they may file in district court asking for the language to be changed. This must occur within ten days after the language is filed with the secretary of state.

If there aren't any appeal, then the language written by the attorney general is considered final and is issued to the secretary of state for official placement on the ballot.

Divisions

As of January 11, 2021, the Office of the Attorney General of Nebraska contains the following divisions:

• Civil Litigation Bureau: this department works on civil rights claims, inmate litigation, worker's compensation, tort claim lawsuits, employment discrimination and equal opportunity commission.
• Criminal Bureau: this department working on child protection, criminal appeals, domestic violence and internet safety.
• Legal Services Bureau: provides legal advice to over 60 state agencies, boards, commissions, departments and offices. The department also is in charge of antitrust, probate, and escheat, and other specialized matters including election law and constitutional litigation. The Legal Services Bureau researches and drafts most attorney general opinions for review by the attorney general and also review rules and regulations for statutory authority and constitutionality.
• Public Protection Bureau: enforces laws and regulations for agriculture, environment and natural resources. This department is also in charge of consumer protections; health and licensing; the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit; Tobacco Enforcement; the Liquor Control Commission; One-Call Notification Act (the bureau files actions for civil penalties against individuals who fail to call the Digger’s Hotline prior to excavation of a pipeline site); and Administrative License Revocation.

Campaign finance

Main article: Campaign finance requirements for Nebraska ballot measures

The Attorney General of Nebraska is responsible for handling all prosecutions of criminal violations of Nebraska's campaign finance laws. The first step in filing a complaint is to file with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission. It is up to the NADC to determine probable cause of a complaint before the attorney general can move on with prosecution the case. The NADC handles all civil law violations.

State budget

See also: Nebraska state budget and finances

The budget for the attorney general's office in Fiscal Year 2024-2025 was $17,688,114.

Compensation

See also: Compensation of state executive officers

The salaries of elected executive officials are set by the Nebraska State Legislature as mandated by the state constitution. Article IV, Section 25 states the following:

The officers provided for in this article shall receive such salaries as may be provided by law. Such officers, or such other officers as may be provided for by law, shall not receive for their own use any fees, costs, or interest upon public money in their hands.

2022

In 2022, the officer's salary was $95,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2021

In 2021, the attorney general received a salary of $95,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2020

In 2020, the attorney general received a salary of $95,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2019

In 2019, the attorney general received a salary of $95,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2018

In 2018, the attorney general received a salary of $95,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2017

In 2017, the attorney general received a salary of $95,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2016

In 2016, the attorney general received a salary of $95,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2015

In 2015, the attorney general received a salary of $95,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2014

In 2014, the attorney general earned a salary of $95,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2013

In 2013, the attorney general was paid an estimated $95,000.

Historical officeholders

There have been 33 Attorneys General of Nebraska since 1867. Of the 33 officeholders, 26 were Republican, six were Democratic and one was Democratic/Populist.

List of Former Officeholders from 1867-Present
#	Name	Tenure	Party
1	Champion S. Chase	1867-1869	Republican
2	Seth Robinson	1869-1871	Republican
3	George H. Roberts	1871-1873	Republican
4	Joseph R. Webster	1873-1875	Republican
5	George H. Roberts	1875-1879	Republican
6	C. J. Dilworth	1879-1883	Republican
7	Isaac Powers Jr.	1883-1885	Republican
8	William Leese	1885-1891	Republican
9	George H. Hastings	1891-1895	Republican
10	Arthur S. Churchill	1895-1897	Republican
11	Constantine J. Smyth	1897-1901	Democratic/Populist
12	Frank N. Prout	1901-1905	Republican
13	Norris Brown	1905-1907	Republican
14	William T. Thompson	1907-1910	Republican
15	Arthur F. Mullen	1910-1911	Democratic
16	Grant G. Martin	1911-1915	Republican
17	Willis E. Reed	1915-1919	Democratic
18	Clarence A. Davis	1919-1923	Republican
19	Ora S. Spillman	1923-1929	Republican
20	C. A. Sorensen	1929-1933	Republican
21	Paul F. Good	1933-1935	Democratic
22	William H. Wright	1935-1937	Democratic
23	Richard C. Hunter	1937-1939	Democratic
24	Walter R. Johnson	1939-1949	Republican
25	James H. Anderson	1949-1950	Republican
26	Harold P. Caldwell	1950-1951	Democratic
27	Clarence S. Beck	1951-1961	Republican
28	Clarence A.H. Meyer	1961-1975	Republican
29	Paul L. Douglas	1975-1984	Republican
30	Robert M. Spire	1985-1991	Republican
31	Don Stenberg	1991-2003	Republican
32	Jon Bruning	2003-2015	Republican
33	Doug Peterson	2015-2023	Republican
34	Mike Hilgers	2023-present	Republican

Recent news

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

Attorney General of Nebraska - Google News

Contact information

Office of the Attorney General
2115 State Capitol
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone:402-471-2682
Fax:402-471-3297

External links

Suggest a link

• Nebraska Attorney General
• Initiative and Referendum Process