PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced Tuesday that she will not seek a fourth term in 2024, but she expects there "will be good candidates" to succeed her.
"I deeply appreciate the faith Oregonians have placed in me these past eleven years," Rosenblum said in a statement. "At the same time, a job like this belongs to the people of Oregon — not to any one individual. While there are no term limits in Oregon for AG, I have decided to impose my own and concluded three-plus terms is enough!"
The attorney general said that she's "not going anywhere" for the remaining 15 months of her term and will also serve as president of the National Association of Attorneys General during that time. She made no indication that she's retiring from public life and did not address her next steps.
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Prior to becoming attorney general, Rosenblum served as a federal prosecutor and as a state trial and appellate judge.
Rosenblum first won election as Oregon Attorney General in November 2012, but she'd already been appointed to the office by Governor John Kitzhaber to replace previous AG John Kroger in late June after she emerged as the winner of the Democratic primary, becoming Oregon's first female attorney general. She won her subsequent elections in 2016 and 2020.
"Each term has brought new and important issues and challenges," Rosenblum said. "In the course of our work, I like to think I — and the nearly 1,400 wonderful employees of the state Department of Justice — have made life better for all Oregonians. During my time in office, we've accomplished a lot together. On top of that, the day-to-day work of running the state's largest law firm has been incredibly rewarding."
In her statement, Rosenblum said that state agencies can benefit from new leadership, and she made her announcement more than a year before the 2024 general election to allow other candidates to come forward.
Candidates for the 2024 election in Oregon got their first opportunity to file last Wednesday, which is when a few major candidates for statewide office announced their campaigns. Democratic state Sen. Elizabeth Steiner announced her run for state treasurer, while current Treasurer Tobias Read and state Sen. James Manning, both Democrats, announced runs for Oregon Secretary of State. Thus far, no candidates have filed or announced campaigns for Oregon Attorney General.
