Last week, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced his resignation from the position effective September 8. He issued a press release reporting that he is leaving to serve as the Co-Deputy Director of the FBI, in alignment with his background as a prosecutor. The Missouri Governor has already appointed a successor: Catherine Hanaway, a former speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives who made history as the first female to serve in that role, and former U.S. Attorney for Eastern Missouri. She will be able to serve as AG until the end of 2028, although she has already indicated that she intends to run for re-election.
This isn’t the first time we have reported on AG Bailey. He is an active player in the consumer protection space – for example, he recently sent inquiry letters to big tech companies about artificial intelligence and created a regulation regarding social media “algorithmic choice.” We will wait and see how his successor approaches these hot topics.
Later last week, Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor also announced his resignation after serving as AG since 2021. The Alaska Governor has not yet appointed a successor but will do so by August 29 (i.e., AG Taylor’s official resignation date). News reports indicate AG Taylor is likely planning a run for governor himself.
AG Taylor has also been active in the consumer protection space during his time as attorney general. Taylor currently serves as the Chair of the Attorney General Alliance, and will be holding his Chair’s Initiative meeting in Alaska this week. In addition to the meeting serving as his swan song to the AG community, his topic of “Cyber Awareness: Addressing Digital Threats at Home and Abroad” includes panels on AI usage, protecting financial data, employment fraud, and the future of consumer protection.
These two announcements kick off a busy AG election cycle with approximately 30 AG spots up for grabs, starting with Virginia this November.
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