2026 is set to be a bumper year for state AG elections with 30+ states across the nation set to elect or re-elect their chief legal officer. And with AGs weighing in on everything from tariffs to taxes to immigration, businesses need to pay attention. In a bonus episode to conclude Season 5, Chris Allen and Chuck Slemp consider the power of incumbency and other determining factors in next year’s influential state AG elections.
(00:36) Host Chris Allen introduces himself and Chuck Slemp and the topic for this bonus episode, which is a “way too early look at the 2026 state AG elections”.
(01:30) Chuck reflects on the most recent episode of State AG Pulse, in which he discussed the 2025 Virginia AG race between incumbent Jason Miyares and his Democrat challenger Jay Jones, which inspired this bonus episode.
(2:58) Chuck goes on to describe the 30 plus AG races in the 2026 election cycle as the Super Bowl of the state AG world, with significant impacts for enforcement and regulation.
(4:42) Chris observes that the party of the sitting president, in this case the Republican party, tends not to do well in midterm elections, but that this is counterbalanced by the fact that the Democratic party is facing its lowest rating nationally ever.
(5:15) Chris points out that as things look 15 months out there is already the potential for 13 new AGs following the 2026 election.
(6:00) Chris and Chuck start by running down the list of AGs who are running for higher office: in Colorado, Georgia, Nevada, Oklahoma, and South Carolina the AGs are running for Governor, and the AGs of Alabama and Texas are running for the U.S. Senate.
(9:13) Chris and Chuck muse on the fact that Texas has seen only two attorneys general in the last 17 years, with General Paxton having held the office since 2014. His race for the Senate has opened a floodgate of candidates in Texas. Another familiar face is Marty Jackley who is now on his second term as AG in South Dakota for a total of 12 years in office, and plans to run for Congress next year.
(10:24) Chris and Chuck identify the AGs who will be leaving office creating open seat races; these include Dave Yost in Ohio, Peter Neronha in Rhode Island, and Dana Nessel in Michigan.
(11:30) Chuck shares the breaking news that Governor Evers of Wisconsin has announced he will not seek a third term, casting some doubt on AG Josh Caul’s future plans.
(13:03) Chris shares the uncertainty around Wyoming where Keith Kautz recently took office as AG, given that the governor there is term-limited and is responsible for appointing the AG. Maine is another state where the AG is appointed; here the current AG is also time-limited so the state legislature will appoint a new AG at the end of 2026.
(14:45) Chuck and Chris run down the final states where elections will take place in 2026: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Vermont and the District of Columbia.
(17:50) Chuck wraps up with this year’s relevant races. Virginia is the only state holding an election, but New Jersey has a gubernatorial race this year and the AG is appointed by the governor of that state.
(18:27) Chris reiterates that they are not doing predictions, but there are two undisputed battleground states: Arizona and Nevada, both significant swing states, making either one a toss-up. Chuck adds that Wisconsin and Kansas will be states to watch.
(19:30) Chris includes Michigan in the “states to watch” list but isn’t sure what to think about Colorado. Like Ohio, and Florida, Colorado will be a state where the candidates matter.
(21:08) Chuck agrees that candidates matter, but also notes the power of incumbency and wonders how that will translate in 2026.
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