Legislature Rejects Stephen Cox as Alaska’s Attorney General by 29-31 Vote
Lawmakers cited Cox’s amicus briefs and election-related advice as concerns, making him the second cabinet-level nominee rejected in Alaska history.
- On Thursday, the Alaska Legislature rejected Attorney General-designee Stephen Cox in a 29-31 vote, marking only the second time in state history a cabinet-level appointee has failed confirmation.
- Lawmakers expressed concerns over Cox's record, citing his involvement in more than 110 amicus briefs aligned with Trump administration policies and his support for restricting birthright citizenship.
- Anchorage Democrat Sen. Lki Tobin argued, "The attorney general is not any one individual's lawyer," while Anchorage Republican Rep. Kevin McCabe defended Cox as executing Governor Mike Dunleavy's priorities.
- Legislators also rejected two other appointees, Crystal Herring and Hannah Mielke, on Thursday; Governor Dunleavy may appoint a replacement to serve until the December transition.
- This vote mirrors the 2009 rejection of Wayne Anthony Ross, the only other cabinet appointee in Alaska history to fail confirmation, underscoring the rarity of such legislative rebuke.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Associated Press News
Legislature rejects Stephen Cox as Alaska’s attorney general by 29-31 vote
State attorney general nominee Stephen Cox was rejected by the Alaska Legislature by a 29-31 vote during a joint session Thursday, with opponents questioning actions by him such as turning over confidential voter data to the federal government and supporting a wide range of conservative out-of-state
3 GOP legislators side with leftist block to oust Alaska’s conservative attorney general
In reply to Lyn. It’s actually a brilliant phrase, meant to encapsulate the all-too-common practice of non-citizens coming into the U.S. illegally with the intention of giving birth in the U.S. for the purposes of obtaining citizenship for baby at birth. But …I’m guessing you already know this.
Alaska Legislature rejects Dunleavy AG appointee Stephen Cox
Attorney General-designee Stephen Cox speaks to senators during a confirmation hearing in the Senate State Affairs Committee on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Eric Stone/Alaska Public Media) The Alaska Legislature rejected Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s pick for attorney general, Stephen Cox, on a 29-31 vote Thursday morning, an extraordinary rebuke of the governor’s appointment to head the Department of Law. Democratic lawmakers in the House and Senate said …
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