Des Moines, Iowa — Tom Miller, the longest serving state attorney general in U.S. history, will be leaving office on January 1st.
Miller, a 78-year-old Dubuque native, graduated from Harvard Law School in 1969. Last month, he lost his campaign for an 11th term, losing to Republican Brenna Bird 611,432 votes to 590,890 votes. Bird will become Iowa’s attorney general on January 2nd. Miller was a lawyer in McGregor and the city attorney for both McGregor and Marquette when he was first elected attorney general in 1978.
Miller ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1990, then won reelection as attorney general in 1994.
Miller worked on the national tobacco settlement in the 1990s and more recently was the lead attorney general who won legal settlements for multiple states from mortgage lenders and Microsoft. He’s also argued two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Miller just completed a year-long term as president of the bipartisan National Association of Attorneys General. Earlier this month, the group created an annual “unity award” and gave it to Miller, a Democrat, and a Republican attorney general from Idaho who Miller describes as his best friend.
The award has been named in honor of Miller and out-going Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden.
