Sununu Says He’s Close To Nominating New Attorney General

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Gov. Chris Sununu, left, is pictured swearing in Attorney General Gordon MacDonald on April 13, 2017. Photo/NH.gov

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CONCORD, NH – Gov. Chris Sununu is looking for a new Attorney General and said that person needs to be ready for long hours and hard work.

Sununu said he is actively interviewing candidates for the top law enforcement post in the state and an important advisor to what Article 41 of the New Hampshire Constitution calls its “Supreme Executive,” where the power of the state is vested.

The way it works, the governor nominates an attorney general and he or she has to be confirmed by the elected, five-member Executive Council. The Republican governor, now entering his third term, has a 4-1 Republican majority in the Executive Council for the first time in two years.

On July 10, 2019, the then-Democratically controlled council voted 3-2 against his nomination of Attorney General Gordon MacDonald to be chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court.

Calling it political and bad form for the Executive Council, Sununu held the chief justice position open until he got a Republican majority on the council, and re-nominated MacDonald.

In January, MacDonald’s re-nomination as chief justice sailed through the council 4-1 after a long and divided confirmation hearing.

At Thursday’s press conference, Sununu said it is possible he will have an Attorney General nomination to bring forward by the next council meeting which is scheduled for March 3.

MacDonald has held the position of Attorney General since April 2017, soon after Sununu was elected for his first term, following Joe Foster who served from 2013 to 2017 under then-governor Maggie Hassan.

The job entails oversight of homicide cases, making sure that the acts of the governor are legal, suing corporations and other entities including other states on behalf of the interests of New Hampshire, and other roles.
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About this Author

Paula Tracy

Veteran reporter Paula Tracy writes for InDepthNH.org