Leslie Rutledge

Leslie Rutledge
56th Attorney General of Arkansas
Assumed office
January 13, 2015
Governor Asa Hutchinson
Preceded by Dustin McDaniel
Personal details
Born (1976-06-09) June 9, 1976
Batesville, Arkansas, U.S.
Political party Republican
Alma mater University of Arkansas,
Fayetteville (BA)
University of Arkansas, Little
Rock (JD)

Leslie Rutledge (born June 9, 1976) is an American lawyer and politician from the state of Arkansas. A member of the Republican Party, she is the current Attorney General of Arkansas, serving since January 13th 2015.

Early life and career

Rutledge, a native of Batesville, Arkansas, is a graduate of Southside High School, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. She began her legal career as Clerk for Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Josephine Hart, now Associate Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court. She was appointed Deputy Counsel for Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and later served as Legal Counsel on the Mike Huckabee for President Campaign. She served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Lonoke County and in subsequent service as Attorney for the State of Arkansas’s Division of Children and Family Services. She also served as Deputy Counsel at the National Republican Congressional Committee before joining the Republican National Committee as Counsel. Prior to her election as Attorney General, she founded and practiced law at The Rutledge Firm, PLLC.

Attorney General of Arkansas

Rutledge sought the Republican Party nomination for Attorney General of Arkansas in the 2014 election.[1] She faced fellow attorneys Patricia Nation[2] and David Sterling.[3] Rutledge finished with the most votes in the primary election, but did not reach 50% of the vote. She faced second-place finisher Sterling in a runoff election.[4] Nation endorsed Rutledge, and she defeated Sterling.[5]

In September, 2014, County Clerk Larry Crane of Pulaski County cancelled Rutledge's voter registration when he discovered that Rutledge had registered to vote in Washington, D.C.[6] She reregistered in Pulaski County.[7]

Rutledge defeated Democratic Party nominee Nate Steel, a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, in the general election.[8] She is the first Republican and woman elected Attorney General of Arkansas.

In 2016, Rutledge stated that she would appeal a ruling supporting LGBT anti-discrimination laws enacted in Fayetteville, Arkansas, that is in opposition to a state law prohibiting these ordinances.[9][10]

Personal life

Rutledge met Boyce Johnson, a farmer from Marion, Arkansas, at a convention for the American Farm Bureau Federation. They married in December 2015.[11][12]

Electoral history

Arkansas Attorney General Republican Primary Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Leslie Rutledge 79,347 47.21
Republican David Sterling 65,733 39.11
Republican Patricia Nation 22,986 13.68
Arkansas Attorney General Republican Primary Runoff Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Leslie Rutledge 43,898 58.89
Republican David Sterling 30,643 41.11
Arkansas Attorney General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Leslie Rutledge 430,799 51.61
Democratic Nate Steel 360,680 43.21
Libertarian Aaron Cash 43,245 5.18

References

  1. ↑ "Leslie Rutledge to make Republican run for attorney general". Arkansas Times. June 28, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Tolbert: Nation Set To Announce For Attorney General". Talk Business Arkansas. January 30, 2014. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  3. ↑ "David Sterling Makes Attorney General Race Official". Talk Business Arkansas. May 7, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  4. ↑ "David Sterling, Leslie Rutledge Go to Runoff in Attorney General Race". Arkansas Business. May 21, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Runoff race gets nasty between GOP Attorney General candidates". The City Wire. June 2, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  6. ↑ "AG hopeful Rutledge not registered to vote in state, clerk says". Arkansas Online. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Leslie Rutledge finally registers to vote". Arkansas Times. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  8. ↑ Associated Press, news source (November 4, 2014). "Leslie Rutledge beats Nate Steel for Arkansas attorney general". Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge To Appeal Judge's Ruling Over LGBT Anti-Discrimination Ordinance". Lawyer Herald. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  10. ↑ The Associated Press (March 30, 2016). "Leslie Rutledge, Arkansas attorney general, seeks to block protections for gays and lesbians". Newsday. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Attorney General Leslie Rutledge engaged to be married". Arkansas Times. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Attorney General Leslie Rutledge weds Boyce Johnson". Arkansas Times. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
Legal offices
Preceded by
Dustin McDaniel		 Attorney General of Arkansas
2015–present 		Incumbent
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