List of Attorneys General of Rhode Island


The Attorney General of Rhode Island is the chief legal advisor of the Government of the State of Rhode Island and oversees the State of Rhode Island Department of Law. The Attorney General is elected every four years. The current Attorney General is Peter F. Neronha.

History of the Rhode Island Attorneys General

In 1643, Roger Williams obtained a patent from the English Parliament. The towns of Providence and Warwick elected a Chief Officer under the authority of this Parliamentary Patent of 1643. In 1647, the towns of Newport, Portsmouth, Providence, and Warwick formed a united colony under the Parliamentary Patent. In May 1650, the offices of "Attorney General for the Colonie" and "Solicitor" were created.

List of Attorneys General of Rhode Island

Attorney General under the Patent of 1643

NamePartyTerm of OfficeResidence
Joseph M. Blake1843-1851Bristol
Walter S. Burges1851-1854Cranston
Christopher Robinson1854-1855Cumberland
Charles Hart1855-1858Providence
Jerome Kimball1858-1860Providence
Walter S. Burges1860-1863Cranston
Abraham Payne1863-1864Providence
Horatio RogersRepublican1864-1867Providence
Willard Sayles1867-1882Providence
Samuel P. ColtRepublican1882-1886Bristol
Edwin Metcalf1886-1887Providence
Ziba O. Slocum1887-1888Providence
Horatio RogersRepublican1888-1889Providence
Ziba O. Slocum1889-1891Providence
Robert W. Burbank1891-1894Providence
Edward C. Dubois1894-1897East Providence
Willard B. TannerRepublican1897-1901Providence
Charles F. StearnsDemocratic1901-1905Providence
William B. GreenoughRepublican1905-1912Providence
Herbert A. RiceRepublican1912-1923Pawtucket
Herbert L. CarpenterDemocratic1923-1925North Smithfield
Charles P. SissonRepublican1925-1929Providence
Oscar L. HeltzenRepublican1929-1930Providence
Benjamin M. McLymanRepublican1930-1933Providence
John P. HartiganDemocratic1933-1939Cranston
Louis V. JackvonyRepublican1939-1941Providence
John H. NolanDemocratic1941-1949Newport
William E. PowersDemocratic1949-1958Cumberland
J. Joseph NugentDemocratic1958-1967Providence
Herbert F. DeSimoneRepublican1967-1971Providence
Richard J. IsraelRepublican1971-1975Providence
Julius C. MichaelsonDemocratic1975-1979Providence
Dennis J. Roberts IIDemocratic1975-1985Providence
Arlene VioletRepublican1985-1987Providence
James E. O'NeilDemocratic1987-1993Narragansett
Jeffrey B. PineRepublican1993-1999Providence
Sheldon WhitehouseDemocratic1999-2003Providence
Patrick C. LynchDemocratic2003–2011East Providence
Peter KilmartinDemocratic2011–2019Pawtucket
Peter F. NeronhaDemocratic2019–Jamestown