Dana Nessel
Dana Nessel (Democratic Party) is the Attorney General of Michigan. She assumed office on January 1, 2019. Her current term ends on January 1, 2027.
Nessel (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Attorney General of Michigan. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Nessel succeeded Bill Schuette (R), who was prevented from running for re-election due to term limits.
Nessel's 2018 election was identified as a battleground race. Republicans had won the office in the five consecutive attorney general elections prior to 2018. Michigan had been a Republican trifecta since 2011, when Gov. Rick Snyder (R) took office and Republicans gained a majority in the Michigan House of Representatives. The state was also a Republican triplex. Democrats flipped the offices of governor, attorney general, and secretary of state in 2018, changing the state to a Democratic triplex.
Biography
Nessel received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from Wayne State University Law School. She previously worked as an assistant prosecutor in Wayne County, Michigan, and as a private civil rights and criminal defense attorney. Nessel founded the Fair Michigan Foundation.[1]
Political career
Attorney general of Michigan (2019-present)
Nessel was elected attorney general of Michigan on November 6, 2018. She assumed office on January 1, 2019.
Elections
2022
See also: Michigan Attorney General election, 2022
General election
General election for Attorney General of Michigan
Incumbent Dana Nessel defeated Matthew DePerno, Joe McHugh, and Gerald T. Van Sickle in the general election for Attorney General of Michigan on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Dana Nessel (D) | 53.2 | 2,329,195 |
 | Matthew DePerno (R) | 44.6 | 1,952,408 | |
 | Joe McHugh (L) | 1.5 | 67,846 | |
 | Gerald T. Van Sickle (U.S. Taxpayers Party) | 0.7 | 32,431 | |
| Total votes: 4,381,880 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic convention
Democratic convention for Attorney General of Michigan
Incumbent Dana Nessel advanced from the Democratic convention for Attorney General of Michigan on August 21, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Dana Nessel (D) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican convention
Republican convention for Attorney General of Michigan
Matthew DePerno defeated Ryan Berman and Tom Leonard in the Republican convention for Attorney General of Michigan on August 27, 2022.
Candidate | ||
 | Ryan Berman (R) | |
| ✔ | | Matthew DePerno (R) |
 | Tom Leonard (R) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for Attorney General of Michigan
Joe McHugh advanced from the Libertarian convention for Attorney General of Michigan on July 10, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Joe McHugh (L) |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
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U.S. Taxpayers Party convention
U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for Attorney General of Michigan
Gerald T. Van Sickle advanced from the U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for Attorney General of Michigan on July 23, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Gerald T. Van Sickle (U.S. Taxpayers Party) |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for Attorney General of Michigan
Dana Nessel defeated Tom Leonard, Lisa Lane Gioia, Chris Graveline, and Gerald T. Van Sickle in the general election for Attorney General of Michigan on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Dana Nessel (D) | 49.0 | 2,031,117 |
| Tom Leonard (R) | 46.3 | 1,916,117 | |
 | Lisa Lane Gioia (L) | 2.1 | 86,807 | |
 | Chris Graveline (Independent) | 1.7 | 69,889 | |
| Gerald T. Van Sickle (U.S. Taxpayers Party) | 0.9 | 38,114 | |
| Total votes: 4,142,044 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Dana Nessel did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2018
Campaign website
Nessel's campaign website stated the following:
Stand up for Civil Rights
Michigan needs an Attorney General who advocates for greater inclusion in civil rights laws. As Attorney General I will aggressively prosecute hate crimes and all cases of discrimination, protect women's rights to access healthcare, and defend immigrants from Federal overreach.
Protect our Environment
I will be a tireless advocate for our environment. I will fight to shut down Enbridge Line 5, and any other pipeline that threatens the Great Lakes. I will enforce environmental laws, prosecuting polluters who harm our environment and threaten the health and safety of Michiganders
Defend Workers and Labor Unions
For years elected officials have attacked laws that protect workplaces and workers rights. As Attorney General, I will make certain that Michiganders have safe workplaces, free from discrimination, sexual harassment, and environmental hazards.
Legalize and Regulate Cannabis
Michigan needs common-sense licensing and regulation of cannabis manufacturing and distribution. When elected, I will work with the legislature and local law enforcement to ensure a safe market that keeps cannabis out of kids hands, and off the roads.
Protect Consumers and Students
As Attorney General, I will go after bad actors, predatory lenders, and shady corporations that target Michigan residents. I will create an Auto Insurance Fraud Division to address our sky-high insurance rates, and I'll work to protect student borrowers from aggressive debt collection tactics.
Safeguard Senior Citizens
Michigan Seniors need help too. As AG, I will increase resources to defend seniors from neglect, abuse, and exploitation. I'll ensure that unsafe assisted living facilities and in-home care providers are stripped of their licenses, issue scam notifications for public awareness, and vigorously prosecute cases of Medicaid fraud.[2]
Ballot measure activity
The following table details Nessel's ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:
| Ballot measure support and opposition for Dana Nessel | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot measure | Year | Position | Status |
| Michigan Proposal 3, Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative (2022) | 2022 | Supported[3] |  Approved |
Noteworthy events
On July 18, 2023, the Michigan Attorney General's office charged 16 individuals on allegations they falsely claimed to be state electors following the 2020 presidential election.[4] According to Nessel, each of the 16 named defendants faced eight felony charges for their role in submitting false documents to the United States Senate and National Archives. The charges include forgery and conspiracy to commit election law forgery.[5]
The defendants are alleged to have met in the basement of the Michigan Republican Party headquarters on December 14, 2020. According to the Attorney General’s office, the 16 defendants signed their names to documents indicating they were the “duly elected and qualified electors for President and Vice President of the United States of America for the State of Michigan.” They then submitted a certificate falsely stating Donald Trump won Michigan's 2020 presidential election. The defendants were not the state of Michigan’s official state electors.[6] They will appear before Michigan's 54-A District court for arraignment.[4]
See also
2022 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Attorney General of Michigan |
Officeholder Attorney General of Michigan |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Dana Nessel 2022 campaign website, "Dana's Background," accessed November 1, 2022
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namednesselissues - ↑ Washington Post, "Abortion defenders in Michigan and Ohio get it: Take it to the voters," June 30, 2022
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Detroit News, "16 false Trump electors face felony charges in Michigan," July 18, 2023
- ↑ ‘'Michigan Department of Attorney General, "Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel Charges 16 ‘False Electors’ with Election Law and Forgery Felonies," July 18, 2023
- ↑ ‘'NBC News, "Michigan attorney general charges 'false electors' over efforts to overturn the 2020 election," July 18, 2023
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Bill Schuette (R) |
Attorney General of Michigan 2019-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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State of Michigan Lansing (capital) |
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