Tennessee Attorney General Slatery won’t seek another term

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery says he won’t seek another eight-year term as the state’s top legal counsel.

FILE – In this Sept. 9, 2019 file photo, Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery, with a bipartisan group of state attorneys general speaks to reporters in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington. Slatery, the first Republican to hold the office since Reconstruction, says he won’t seek another eight-year term as the state’s top legal counsel. Slatery, 70, announced his decision Tuesday, May 10, 2022 in a letter to the Tennessee Supreme Court, which was provided to The Associated Press by request. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

The 70-year-old Slatery announced his decision Tuesday in a letter to the Tennessee Supreme Court, which was provided to The Associated Press by request.

He’s the first Republican to hold the office since Reconstruction.

As attorney general, Slatery has defended the state as it resumed executions, where it’s since become among the top states to carry out death sentences.

He’s also been involved in the national investigation into opioid manufacturers, including cases again Purdue Pharma.

Tennessee is the only state in the U.S. where the state’s Supreme Court appoints the attorney general.

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