Rejecting incumbent Democrat Robert Cooper, the Tennessee supreme court has selected Herbert Slatery III, the first Republican in state history to serve as the state’s next attorney general, the Tennessean reports.
Slatery, 62, served as Gov. Bill Haslam’s chief legal counsel prior to his appointment to the AG’s office which will become effective immediately.
Cooper has served a single term since 2006. Cooper and Slatery were among six finalists from which the supreme court made its selection.
Tennessee is the only state in the country giving its supreme court the power to choose the attorney general.
Republican Lt. Gov. Rob Ramsey and several conservative organizations challenged the court’s appointment power as a system rigged to favor Democrats.
Conservatives led an unsuccessful campaign to defeat three Democrat justices in last month’s retention election.
With Democrats still controlling the state’s high court, the fate of the AGs office was left “in the hands of judges originally nominated by trial lawyers in an unconstitutional manner,” Grant Everett Starrett, president of Tennesseans for Judicial Accountability said.
Ramsey, however, applauded the court’s selection Monday. “Slatery will be a strong advocate for the people of Tennessee and a vigilant defender of Tennessee’s conservative reforms,” he said.
The Republican Attorneys General Association also released a statement shortly after the announcement congratulating Slatery on his appointment.
“We are very pleased by the appointment of Mr. Slatery. His previous experience in private practice coupled with his current role as legal counsel to Governor Haslam will make the transition to Tennessee Attorney General seamless,” RAGA chairman and South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said.
RAGA also notes that with the selection of Slatery, Republicans now hold 25 attorney general seats across the country.