From 1684 to 1777, when New York was under the British colonial government, the attorney general was appointed by the King of England, or the colonial governor on behalf of the sovereign. In 1693, the attorney general earned a salary of 50 pounds.
Since 1777, seventy two persons have held the office. The current holder of the office is Eliot Spitzer, who has raised the office's profile through his activism as attorney general.
New York State Attorneys-General, 1777 - present
| Attorney General
| Years
| Party
|
| Egbert Benson
| May 8 1777 - May 14 1788
| Federalist
|
| Richard Varick
| May 14 1788 - September 29 1789
| Federalist
|
| Aaron Burr
| September 29 1789 - November 8 1791
| Democratic-Republican
|
| Morgan Lewis
| November 8 1791 - December 24 1792
| Democratic-Republican
|
| Nathaniel Lawrence
| December 24 1792 - November 13 1795
| none
|
| Josiah Ogden Hoffman
| November 13 1795 - February 3 1802
| Federalist
|
| Ambrose Spencer
| February 3 1802 - February 3 1804
| Democratic-Republican
|
| John Woodworth
| February 3 1804 - March 18 1808
| Democratic-Republican
|
| Matthias Hildreth
| March 18 1808 - February 2 1810
| Democratic-Republican
|
| Abraham Van Vechten
| February 2 1810 - February 1 1811
| Federalist
|
| Matthias Hildreth
| February 1 1811 - August 12 1812
| Democratic-Republican
|
| Thomas Addis Emmett
| August 12 1812 - February 13 1813
| Democratic-Republican
|
| Abraham Van Vechten
| February 13 1813 - February 17 1815
| Federalist
|
| Martin Van Buren
| February 17 1815 - July 8 1819
| Democratic-Republican
|
| Thomas Jackson Oakley
| July 8 1819 - February 12 1821
| Federalist
|
| Samuel Talcott
| February 12 1821 - February 27 1829
| Democratic-Republican
|
| Greene Bronson
| February 27 1829 - January 12 1836
| Democrat
|
| 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 - November 2 1847
| Democrat
|
| Ambrose L. Jordan
| November 2 1847 - November 6 1849
| Democrat
|
| Levi S. Chatfield
| November 6 1849 - November 23 1853
| Democrat
|
| Gardner Stow
| November 23 1853 - December 8, 1853
| Washington
|
| Odgen Hoffman
| December 8, 1853 - November 7, 1855
| Whig
|
| Stephen B. Cushing
| November 7, 1855 - November 3, 1857
| none
|
| Lyman Tremain
| November 3, 1857 - November 8, 1859
| Democrat
|
| Charles G. Myers
| November 8, 1859 - November 5, 1861
| Republican
|
| Daniel S. Dickinson
| November 5, 1861 - November 3, 1863
| Democrat
|
| John Cochrane
| November 3, 1863 - November 7, 1865
| Democrat
|
| John H. Martindale
| November 7, 1865 - November 5, 1867
| Republican
|
| Francis C. Barlow
| November 7, 1871 - November 4, 1873
| Republican
|
| Daniel Pratt
| November 4, 1873 - November 2, 1875
| Democrat
|
| Charles S. Fairchild
| November 2, 1875 - November 6, 1877
| Democrat
|
| Augustus Schoonmaker, Jr.
| November 6, 1877 - November 4, 1879
| Democrat
|
| Hamilton Ward, Sr.
| November 4, 1879 - November 8, 1881
| Republican
|
| Leslie W. Russell
| November 8, 1881 - November 6, 1883
| Republican
|
| Denis O'Brien
| November 6, 1883 - November 8, 1887
| Democrat
|
| Charles F. Tabor
| November 8, 1887 - November 3, 1891
| Democrat
|
| Simon W. Rosendale
| November 3, 1891 - November 7, 1893
| none
|
| Theodore E. Hancock
| November 7, 1893 - November 8, 1898
| Republican
|
| John C. Davies
| November 8, 1898 - November 4, 1902
| Republican
|
| John Cunneen
| November 4, 1902 - November 8, 1904
| Democrat
|
| Julius M. Mayer
| November 8, 1904 - November 6, 1906
| Republican
|
| William S. Jackson
| November 6, 1906 - November 3, 1908
| Democrat
|
| Edward Richard O'Malley
| November 3, 1908 - November 8, 1910
| Republican
|
| Thomas Carmody
| November 8, 1910 - September 2, 1914
| Democrat
|
| James A. Parsons
| September 2, 1914 - November 3, 1914
| Democrat
|
| Egburt E. Woodbury
| November 3, 1914 - April 25, 1917
| Republican
|
| Merton E. Lewis
| April 25, 1917 - November 5, 1918
| Republican
|
| Charles D. Newton
| November 5, 1918 - November 7, 1922
| Republican
|
| Carl Sherman
| November 7, 1922 - November 4, 1924
| Democrat
|
| Albert Ottinger
| November 4, 1924 - November 6, 1928
| Republican
|
| Hamilton Ward, Jr.
| November 6, 1928 - November 4, 1930
| Republican
|
| John J. Bennett, Jr.
| November 4, 1930 - November 3, 1942
| Democrat
|
| Nathaniel L. Goldstein
| November 3, 1942 - November 2, 1954
| Republican
|
| Jacob K. Javits
| November 2, 1954 - January 9, 1957
| Republican
|
| Louis J. Lefkowitz
| January 9, 1957 - November 7, 1978
| Republican
|
| Robert Abrams
| November 7, 1978 - January 1, 1994
| Democrat
|
| G. Oliver Koppell
| January 1, 1994 - November 8, 1994
| Democrat
|
| Dennis Vacco
| November 8, 1994 - November 3, 1998
| Republican
|
| Eliot Spitzer
| November 3, 1998 - (incumbent)
| Democrat
|
